


The White-Fang Leader

by EveryoneIsGayForQrowBranwen



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alcohol, Drunken Shenanigans, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Every season of RWBY is written, F/M, Female Reader, GROUPCHATSSSSS, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, Not a V7 Rewrite, Panic Attacks, Past Character Death, RWBY: After The Fall and BtD Spoilers, Reader is based on Neopolitan, The Council - Freeform, Underage Drinking, by looks, pretty slow at writing new chapters now, same hair, same semblance with different aspects, same weapon, the Ace-ops are friends in this, this a happy story with angst and fluff and uh yea
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:47:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 63
Words: 243,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27245224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EveryoneIsGayForQrowBranwen/pseuds/EveryoneIsGayForQrowBranwen
Summary: You were a human raised by the White-fang for 17 years, during your years in the White-fang you met 4 friends, Adam Taurus, Samantha Irwenic, Xanthe Renald, and Marrow Amin. A year after meeting Adam you fell in love with him and eventually got together, the only problem was is that you fell in love with Marrow.When the leader of the White-fang stepped down and a new one took his place, everything changed. She had a different perspective, Instead of peaceful protests, you were attacking dust shops and setting fire to buildings and eventually, Adam followed her perspective. He would abuse you if you ever did something wrong.You had enough and got with Marrow.You, Samantha, Xanthe, and Marrow planned to escape the White-fang but on that night when you saw Marrow escaping without you in an Airship with someone, who was he with? Clover Ebi. You kept a search going on for years but no sign of Marrow.Why did you wanna find him? To kill him of course.Aka- you're in the White fang and you plan to escape yet Marrow leaves without you. then you go to Beacon yrs later, you meet CFVY, RWBY, and JNPR. basically, l wrote every season of RWBY in this. You don't See him till C15. Ur based on Neo.
Relationships: Elm Ederne/Vine Zeki, Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie, Marrow Amin/Reader, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, a small amount of Jaune Arc/Weiss Schnee, and a teeny bitty bit of Blake Belladonna/ Yang Xiao Long, and a teeny tiny bit of Rosegarden
Comments: 10
Kudos: 17





	1. The White Fang.

**Author's Note:**

> Basically, you're based on Neo, the Same Semblance with some tweaks, dress similar, same hair, and weapon.  
> Y/N means Your Name  
> L/N means Your Last Name  
> T/N Means your Team Name  
> 

There you were as a baby in a basket, crying in the streets of Vale, luckily your crying let someone straight to you, a Faunus, the Faunus took you to a giant building which was home to hundreds of Faunus, but there was a symbol on walls and on the back of peoples shirts or jackets, what symbol was it? the White-fang symbol.

At 7 years old you met 4 people, Adam Taurus, Samantha Irwenic, Xanthe Renald, and Marrow Amin. 

Growing up with them you started to fall for Adam at the age of 10, but something also happened, the leader of the White-fang stepped down and a new one rose in his place, she had a different perspective on everything, instead of peaceful protests, everyone older then you started attacking dust shops, and setting fire to buildings, Faunus wanted to be respected and the worst part was, her plan was working, Faunus were finally given respect but not out of peace, out of fear.

At 11 years old, the rioting just kept happening, there were no more protests, the buildings of Vale were always on fire, now when people walked in the streets of Vale, they walked in fear, Why wasn't the Headmaster of Beacon Academy doing anything? Or the council! And with all the fear, tons of Grimm was trying to get past the city defenses, Why arent any of the huntsman doing anything?! Everything got worst, the leader of the White-fang, Sienna Khan, started sending everyone to new bases in different Kingdoms, Atlas, Vacuo, and Mistral.

Sienna Khan started teaching me how to fight With Hush, Hush was a parasol with pink dust-protected fabric, whenever you close Hush you can extend the needle to come out from the tip, if you pull out the handle a prettyyyyyy long needle comes out with it. Hush wasn't usually used to kill Grimm, it was mostly used to kill people, if we were ever attacked I could use Hush to attack anyone.

At the age of 15 you and Adam got together but you were in love with MARROW! BROTHERS SAKE, WHY MARROW? The worst thing about dating Adam was how he looked up to Sienna, soon after that he became abusive and so rude, sometimes while sparring with him, he would purposely hit you really hard with the handle of his weapon, Brothers you had enough!

At the White-fang headquarters in Vale, everyone had a room, You, Samantha, and Xanthe shared one while Adam and Marrow, shared another room, that night you went to Adam's room and told Marrow to go to yours, as soon as he left you and Adam had a 1-hour argument which led to you breaking up with him, YOU WERE DONE WITH HIS SHIT! Then you told Marrow to go back to his room and you told the girls everything that happened but you never told them about the abuse, you only told them about your argument and the breakup.

After a few months when Adam started following Siennas perspective for Faunus rights, you Marrow, Samantha, and Xanthe planned to leave the White-fang, but joining the White-fang meant NO leaving, You all chose the path to stay in the White-fang but now you all need to escape.

That night when you, Samantha, and Xanthe were trying to sleep you heard an Airship outside, you all looked out the window and saw an airship leaving, you looked closely and saw that Marrow was in it and that someone else was with him, who was he with? .. CLOVER EBI?! What is an Ace-op from ATLAS Doing here?! Brothers a bunch of thoughts kept going through your head when you saw that airship.

_What is an Ace-op doing here?? is he getting kidnapped??_

You needed to know, you ran outside as fast as you could to the airship but saw that Marrow looked at you with a face of guilt, and that's when it hit you, he wasn't getting kidnapped, he was leaving you, his friends- hell his family!

You ran back into headquarters to Marrow and Adam's room, Adam was out on a mission in Mistral, you looked around the room and found Marrows scroll you looked through all the messages and you couldn't believe it, Marrow was planning on escaping for months with General Ironwood and Clover Ebi!

Why did they even wanna help him in the first place? then it came to you, The Atlas Mission! General Ironwood must have caught Marrow and offered to help Marrow escape. The rage in you filled and you ran back to your room to tell Samantha and Xanthe, they were pretty pissed and you were all waiting for Adam to come back from his mission with Sienna to tell them everything.

* * *

Hours went by and it felt like forever until Adam and Sienna came back, You ran up to them and told them that Marrow had left with General Ironwood and Ace operative Clover Ebi from Atlas, then you showed them everything on Marrows Scroll.

" ATLAS?! ATLAS IS ONE OF THE PLACES WHERE FAUNUS ARE HATED MOST? WHY WOULD HE EVER DECIDE TO GET HELP FROM THERE?!?" Yelled Sienna while walking in circles.

" Coward" Adam Scoffed, You felt guilty since you, Samantha and Xanthe planned to escape the White-fang too but the fact on how Marrow left you alone, with _him_.. you weren't going to let him get away with this.

" Y//N, how long ago did this happen?" Asked the pacing girl.

" About 4 hours ago " You replied, " He is going to Atlas, and as you said, Atlas is one of the most Faunus-hated kingdoms in Remnant, we need to find him and bring him back, he isn't safe there."   
  


" She's right," Adam stood up from where he was sitting, " We need to bring him back, not just because he isn't safe but he doesn't leave the people who protected him for his entire life."   
  


Samantha and Xanthe both nodded in Agreement.

" We can start a search from him after we relocate every White-fang member to the South-east, now that General Ironwood knows where the White-Fang Vale headquarters are he will tell Ozpin and the council straight away, and then next you know it, cops are swarming the place." 

Soon after that You, Samantha, and Xanthe were packing your stuff and left your first home, soon you relocated to the South-east and then Sienna started the search. 

You didn't tell anyone the reason why you wanted to find Marrow so bad, everyone thought it was because he was your boyfriend but that wasn't the real reason. soon you started seeing things the way Sienna and Adam did, you didn't agree with them on everything but if no one will fight for the Faunus, for those who attack the Faunus, then there is no choice but to fight back. 

* * *

On December 9th, Your 16th birthday, you were out on a mission in Vale, when by your surprise you were caught by the one and only Headmaster Ozpin, you were stealing some things, setting fire to buildings, but the last thing you expected was to be caught by headmaster Ozpin, he brought you to the school, you weren't sure why he didn't call the cops but the cops are at least better then Ozpin. you didn't like Ozpin, he was never able to protect the streets of Vale, it was as if he didn't care about this Kingdom.

" Y/N L/N," said Ozpin as he sat in his chair with a mug in his hand.

"Uhm... Hi?" you responded

" Why is a 16-year-old girl like you setting fire to buildings and wearing a White-fang mask?" you took off your mask and left it on the table.

You kept quiet because you weren't gonna rat out the White-fang

"You're quite the quiet one," He said as he stared into your Pink and Brown eyes, " Would you like to come to my school?"

" W-wait what?!" You immediately blurted out of your mouth after a minute of silence between you and Ozpin.

" You know what I said," he said with a serious face, " would you like to?" 

" I don't understand- Why? you don't even know me."

" I see a girl who spent her whole life fighting for what was right, I see potential in you Y/N and I believe you would make a great addition to Beacon academy, So do you accept my offer?" 

Part of you wanted to decline but then you thought about Marrow, how this could be a chance to find him, to train more with Hush and possibly learn how to kill, after all, the only reason you wanted to find Marrow was to kill him.

" I accept."

" Wonderful," The man said, " When summer passes, come by Beacon and see if you can pass the first quiz, Glynda, take her home to please" A Blonde woman walked toward you but you put your hand up.

" No need, I can get home myself," you said as you stood from your chair, " It was nice meeting you, Headmaster" you grabbed the mask and left.

" Likewise." responded the man

and like that, you left, You walked for what seemed like an hour to Vale, then called Samantha to come to pick you up so you could get into the South-east, Mountain Glenn.

* * *

" No way." Samantha said

" You were invited to Beacon Academy?!" Said Xanthe in excitement.

" Yes and I accepted but I honestly regret that now because I have no idea how to tell Sienna, she'll kill me." 

" We can help you escape," Samantha said and Xanthe nodded in agreement.

" but that would mean leaving you guys!" You yelled

" Y/N... " Samantha said as she walked towards you and sat down beside you with Xanthe, "I and Xanthe chose the path to stay in the White-fang, you didn't, you were raised by the White-fang, you didn't join it, You need to meet new people, maybe even find Marrow" Yep Definitely finding Marrow, " You can't stay here forever, you turned 16 today! you should finally be able to roam freely now." 

" But what about you guys?" you asked immediately.

" Like I said me and Xanthe chose this path, and someone has to make sure Adam doesn't get into any more stupid fights or make sure Sienna doesn't kill anyone on the Council"

You chuckled a bit with tears starting to form in your eyes. " You guys are the best friends anyone could ever ask for" you said, and like that you were all in a group hug.

* * *

It was a day before Beacon Academy's first day, You, Xanthe, and Samantha headed into an Airship, Xanthe went to the front and started to raise the Airship up and heading towards Vale, by the time you got there you hugged Xanthe and Samantha for the last time.

"Brothers no words can describe how much I will miss you guys," You said as a tear went down your Cheek, and by the looks of it, Xanthe and Samantha were crying too.

" Hey now, we still have our scrolls to talk, just don't forget us okay?" Xanthe said as she hugged you.

" I will never forget you guys at all. " You extended an arm out for Samantha to join the hug which of course she did

" Sienna is expanding the White-fang to the rest of the Kingdoms, me and Xanthe are heading to Atlas tomorrow while Adam stays here, which means we won't see you until you finish school " at that point you were all close to sobbing, " Which means we wont see you for 4 years.."

You took a breath," Take care okay?" You said

" We've always kept each other safe," said Xanthe as she looked at Samantha. 

" Goodbye" and just like that you walked off, Xanthe and Samantha watching you leave and waving goodbye before getting in the Airship, You checked your bag to see that you had 500 Lien, Not bad, should find me some food, you checked your scroll to see that it was 5 am, just 3 more hours, you can do it.

3 hours passed by as you walked through the streets of Vale, you decided to go to the Area where a Beacon Airship would pick you up, you saw tons of Other people already there, it was weird seeing humans since you were raised by Faunus your entire life. what felt like an hour later a Beacon Airship came to the area and you boarded on to the Ship and looked out the window but then the news came on and of course Lisa Lavender was on the screen.

" The once peaceful organization known as the White-fang has finally had enough and are now attacking dust shops and rioting, the Leader of the White-fang who has not yet shown who they are, are expanding the White-fang to the other kingdoms and-" The screen went off and a Hologram of a lady who had her blonde hair in a bun with a curl hanging at the side of her face, she had a wide pleated top with a wide keyhole neckline, you recognized her, you remember she was in the room the night you met Ozpin, her name was Glynda..?

" Goodmorning and welcome to Beacon Academy, my name is Glynda Goodwitch and I will be your professor in some classes this year, we are experiencing an incredible time of peace and are now teaching our abilities to you, have a nice time and again, welcome to Beacon." Glynda said then the Hologram went off. You looked out the window and saw Beacon academy, It was beautiful from up here! you heard a bunch of 'wows' coming from people on the ship, hopefully, this will be a good year.

* * *

You spent about 6 months at Beacon with your team, Team T/M, you were pretty good friends. Whenever you had the chance you would call Samantha and Xanthe when they weren't around Adam or Sienna if they found out they were talking to me, Sienna would cut their heads off! 

During your second year at Beacon, things went pretty well, you met another team called Team CFVY, You grew pretty close to them and you often spent time with them. 

After about 3 months when your second year started, you were changing in your Dorm when one of the girls from your team walked in and saw every single bruise and scar on your back.

" HOLY SHIT, Y/N!" Her Screaming startled you and you turned around to face your Teammate you quickly put your shirt on and saw that your other teams walked in.

" What's going on?" Asked someone else.

"Y/N HAS LIKE 50 BRUISES AND SCARS ON HER BACK AND ARMS!" screamed your teammate, hopefully, no one else heard her.

" There just from Grimm calm down," you said to her.

The worst part was, one of your teammates' semblance was being able, to tell the truth through her mind. " You're lying," She said.

" Fine maybe I am, but it's nothing okay?" You tried to leave the dorm room when one of your teammates shoved their leg in front of you, " Tell us Y/N you can trust us!".... you decided to tell them EVERYTHING ( Except Adam) They did not take it well, instead they judged you, called you a coward and apparently your teammates were NOT fans of Faunus. 

Weeks went by and your teammates wouldn't even talk to you, Samantha and Xanthe were too busy in the White-fang and team CFVY were constantly doing missions with professor Port, so you had no one to talk too, you sat in the school gardens starting to cry a little.

_coming here was the worst idea, I should have just stayed in the White-fang_

those thoughts kept going through your head and a tear went down your cheek until you heard something, uh oh, you heard Ozpin coming towards you, you always knew when he was coming because of the sound his shoes made and well the sound of his cane of course and the smell of hot chocolate.

He sat beside you but you didn't ask instead you just wiped away your tears and as you were about to get up you heard Ozpin say something.

" I'm sorry " he quietly said, you sat back down and looked down at your feet.

" it's fine," it wasn't, you were lying.

" It's not, I had no right to ask you on that day." 

You remembered that day, it was during your first year, you and your team were celebrating after you won the Solo rounds in the Vytal Tournament until Proffesor Ozpin called you to his Office. You walked in to find General Ironwood-you wanted to punch the general so bad-and another man who told me his name was Qrow Branwen, you asked Ozpin why he called you and he answered.

He asked you to become the Fall Maiden.


	2. The Fall Maiden.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback: during your first year Ozpin asked you to become the Fall Maiden, what will your answer be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALSO, YOU MEET TEAM RWBY AND JNPR NEXT CHAPTER! this chapter is just a flashback to when Oz asked you to be the Fall Maiden. ( Next chapter should be published tmrw!)

You were celebrating with your team after you won the Vytal Tournaments Solo Rounds, and you won it for Beacon Academy!

You were about to eat some cake when you looked at your scroll, Professor Ozpin had asked you to come to his office, did he want to say congratulations? you told your team you were heading to his office and you scoffed when they said they would eat the cake without you.

you headed to his office and while you were in the elevator you started feeling nervous and scared.

_does he know my secret?_

just the thought of him knowing scared you, being in the White-fang , only coming to learn how to kill.

The elevator door opened and you walked in, you started walking a bit slower when you saw General Ironwood in the room with him and Glynda, there was also another man, red eyes, looked like he would kill someone. you stopped in the middle of the room and gave professor Ozpin a confusion, he smiled at you, " Good evening, Professor Ozpin, Professor Goodwitch and, General Ironwood?' you looked at the General confused, you were about to ask something until Ozpin said something, " Goodevening Miss L/N, please come sit." you walked towards his desk and sat in the chair, you've never seen his office before it was pretty big and empty.

" We would like to congratulate you on winning the Solo rounds in the Vytal Tournament, you won it for Beacon and represented your kingdom, But-" he was interrupted by you as you asked, " But that's not why you called me here?" Ozpin smiled and as he was about to respond until the man with red eyes spoke up, " You did good, could do better with your stance but you got a good weapon." Said the red-eyed man as he looked at you, you turned your head, " Thank you, and if I may ask what's your name?" you said as you stood up and walked towards him. 

" Qrow Branwen," He said, you shook his hand, " Nice to meet you Qrow Branwen". he smiled at you, " Likewise," he said.

You turned around and looked at Ozpin, Glynda, and General Ironwood, " Professor if I may ask, why am I here?" You asked as you sat back down, " What's your favorite fairytale?" he asked.

"I'm sorry?" you questioned, " Fairytale, your parents must have told you some as a child." your face fell and you looked down, you wanted to correct him but you weren't ready to trust anyone in this room yet, so you thought about fairytales that the older kids always told you in the White-fang as a kid, " Oh! the story of the seasons!", Ozpin raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked at Qrow who was also Surprised. " Can you tell me the story of the seasons?" he asked, You gave him a look of confusion then decided to tell him the story " Of course."

"An old Wizard who lives alone in the mountains is visited by four sisters, who each in their own unique ways are kind to him. The first, Winter, encourages him to meditate and reflect; the second, Spring, brings him fruit and flowers and revitalizes his garden; the third, Summer, convinces him to step outside and embrace the world; and the fourth, Fall, urges him to be thankful for what he has. Moved by their kindness, the old man gives the four sisters great powers so that they may travel throughout Remnant continuing to share their gifts. The four sisters promise to return and visit him yearly. that story was read to me every night as a child, such an old story." You told the story and looked at Ozpin who seemed quite surprised. 

" You have a very good memory if you were able to remember that from your childhood, would you believe me if I told you that story has been around since I was a boy?" Asked Ozpin

" Yep, " You replied and heard Qrow laugh in the background since you just called your headmaster old.

Ozpin looked at you with a smile on his face, he even chuckled a bit, " Would you also believe me if I told you that this story is true?".

You widened your eyes to look around, Glynda, General Ironwood and Qrow were all looking at you as if they were waiting for a response.

" Is this some sort of prank?" you asked looking at Ozpin, " I can assure you this isn't a prank " said Ozpin.

" So you are telling me, that there are 4 ladies with magical powers somewhere in Remnant?" you asked 

" If you want to put it like that then yes, " said Ozpin as he stood up, " Come with us." You followed General Ironwood, Ozpin, Glynda and Qrow into a elevator that went down into a vault, Glynda, Ironwood, Qrow, and Ozpin started walking but you were a few feet behind them looking all around the vault, Qrow turned around and waited for you. 

" You probably have a lot of questions don't you kid? " Said Qrow as he pulled his flask out, " Maybe 5...." you said slowly, Qrow told you everything about the Maidens while walking until you finally reached the pods.. 

" Who is... " you asked as you widened your eyes seeing a brown haired lady unconscious in a pod.

Ozpin sighed, "Amber," He said, " The Fall Maiden."

" That's the Fall Maiden......the story of the seasons is about a hundred years old, how is she still alive?!"

" I guess the magic that was granted to her made her live for a very long time, but in her current situation we don't know what will happen to her power."

" What do you mean by 'what will happen to her power'?"

Glynda looked at Qrow with a frustrated face, " I thought you told her everything?" said Glynda, " I don't normally do the talking Glynda so I didn't get to the Maiden power part yet," he stopped looking at Glynda and turned to you, " There is a rule so the power goes on forever, whoever is in the Maidens last thoughts will be the one to have their power once they die and it goes on and on...but in her case, somethings changed." Said Qrow

" Wont her power go to the person who was in her thoughts last..?" you asked

The General finally decided to speak up, " Yes but Amber was attacked and for the first time in forever someone was able to steal part of her power, we don't entirely know how though and in her current condition, the power will go to the person who attacked her, unless... we connect her aura with yours..."

You were confused at what he said until you realized, you raised your head, eyes wide looking at General Ironwood and you snapped at everyone, " ARE YOU CRAZY?!" everyone had a look of guilt on their faces except Ironwood, of course General Ironwood doesn't feel guilty about it at all, " Desperate times call for desperate measures.." said the General.

" DO YOU REALLY THINK KILLING HER IS THE BEST WAY?!" You snapped again, your face filled with rage, you lowered your tone a bit, " Maybe they are right, you really don't have a heart and if I could I would punch you." General Ironwood started to get angry, his fists clenching, he was about to respond until Ozpin decided to speak, " Miss L/N we understand you're mad but you must respect us and the General." You scoffed but agreed, " Fine, ill be respectful." You looked at Qrow and saw that he was trying so hard not to laugh, you smiled at him and all your anger went away. 

" So Y/N will you accept our offer on becoming the next Fall Maiden?" Asked Glynda, all eyes were on you now, this was a gigantic question and during that moment there was so much pressure.

" I'm sorry but I have to decline, this power should be wielded by someone stronger them me, I would suggest the 4th years since they are graduating soon."

Ozpin smiled at you, " We respect your choice, lets head back up and you can continue celebrating with your team." You all headed back for the Elevator and you were soon in Ozpin's office, as you were about to leave, Ozpin spoke up, " Miss L/M you can keep this secret about the Maidens and everything we told you right? No one outside this room can know what happened or what we told you."

" Of course." you responded, and left his Office.


	3. Truth be Told, Beacon Arc part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time to tell Ozpin the Truth, you can trust him, right?

Ozpin was sitting beside you on a bench in the Beacon Gardens. " I had no right to ask you, with all the pressure you've stopped talking and spending time with your team.."

_oh, he thinks I stopped talking to my team because he asked me to be the Fall Maiden, fuck._

" That's not why I stopped talking to them.." you said as your face fell, " They hate me," you said as tears formed in your eyes.

Ozpin was shocked and confused at the same time, " During your first year you guys were all so close, then after a few months of this year you were all just done talking, I don't understand? what did you do?" he asked 

You didn't want to tell Ozpin but then you thought of the day you met him, he could have reported you to the police but he didn't, he saw you steal, he saw you WITH a White-fang mask, and he trusted you with a secret that not many more people in the world know, if he trusted you with that, then you should be able to trust him with your secret.

" Can I trust you?" You asked him.

" Y/N, I am your headmaster, I let you into this school and you didn't need to take a test or anything. The night that I met you-your birthday-I told you that you had potential, and I trusted you with the Fall Maiden secret, so I can assure you, that you can trust me." 

You wore a white tube crop top with a light pink leather jacket on top, you turned around and took off your jacket so he could see part of your back and arms.

You could hear his horrified gasp, " I was apart of the White-fang for 16 Years, " You said, and put your jacket back on. You looked into his Brown eyes, " Let's walk, " He said. You got up and walked around the Garden with him, telling him all about your years in the White fang, Sienna Khan, _Adam.. and Marrow..._ but you didn't tell him that General Ironwood and Ace-operative Clover Ebi helped Marrow escape, with what Ironwood is doing right now in Vale, he's making Ozpin look like he can't protect his own Kingdom, he's making him look stupid, like a coward.

You were expecting Ozpin to give you a lecture on how it was a stupid choice to stay in the White-fang. Ugh, you should have never told him! He's probably gonna kick you out of Beacon now, and your gonna have no money and you'll just live on the-

All of your thoughts stopped when you felt Ozpin hugging you. Ozpin was a mysterious man, and honestly, part of you thought he was depressed, but Professor Ozpin is hugging you right now!

" I am so sorry you had to go through all of that. Beacon is your family now." You decided to hug him back, "You're not gonna kick me out..?" You asked. " Y/N, Why in the world would I ever kick you out? You haven't done anything wrong." Said Ozpin. You were so happy when he said those words, " Thank you so much." You whispered and hugged him tighter.

* * *

Days went by, and you went to the school gardens every morning and in-between classes. One night you couldn't fall asleep so you decided to go on a walk around the front of the school. You decided to walk near the Waterfall which was close to the edge of the cliff and sit, you remembered how you saw a girl with a red cape sneeze fire and ice dust-

While you were sitting, someone was coming towards you from behind. Recently, Fox from team CFVY has been helping you with feeling and recognizing someone else's Aura. You closed your eyes and focused to see if you can recognize the person's aura, it was Fox. 

you sighed, " Hey Fox," 

_"Hey" Fox sent,_ Fox's semblance was telepathy so he could talk to you through his mind.

_" So what are you doing out here alone? Tryna jump off?" he asked._

You snorted.

_" If I wanted to die, I would have asked Ozpin to throw me off a cliff again" You sent._

Fox chuckled and sat beside you, _" So what are you doing out here?" He asked, " Couldn't sleep," you sent, " Why. are. you. out. here?" Fox asked again._

_" You know it really annoys me how you always know how someone is feeling" You sent as you chuckled._

_" Fox, my team hates me, they won't even let me into the dorm room anymore." You sent._

_" Honestly, Coco and I were talking about that earlier today," Fox sent._

_" What do you mean by that?" You asked._

_" Well, about a few months ago, we noticed how you stopped talking to your team and often spent time alone in the gardens. then you started leaving your dorm room almost every night. Coco saw you out here so I decided to come but I can feel that you're tired, Y/N, have you been sleeping?"_

It was hard to ignore someone when they were talking in your head.

You sighed, _" No...I haven't. Fox, they won't let me into the dorm room anymore, I don't have anywhere to sleep." you sent._

_" I don't understand, you guys were such good friends, what could you have possibly done to make them hate you?" He asked._

You didn't know if you wanted to tell him, Fox is such a good friend and if you told him, he would probably turn his back on you too.

_" That's a story for another time," You sent, " I just need to figure out where I'm gonna sleep."_

_" I didn't wanna tell you but now's a good time, when I turned on team speak, I also let the rest of my team on team speak..." Sent Fox._

_" WHAT!??!" You sent but screamed it._

_" Great, way to give us a headache," Sent Coco, " But yea, we were listening to the conversation the whole time."_

_" FOX!"_

_"I'M SORRY YOU SEEMED UPSET. " He sent._

_" THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU LET YOUR WHOLE TEAM IN ON THIS CONVERSATION." You elbowed him really hard, " OW OW OKAY I'M SORRY I WON'T DO IT AGAIN." He put his hand over where you elbowed him._

_" YOU BETTER, OR I SWEAR I WILL TEAR YOU APART AND NOT EVEN THE BROTHERS CAN PUT YOU BACK TOGETHER." Fox slowly backed away from you._

_" Well, if you guys are done now, come inside." Sent Coco._

_" Yea! You could stay in our dorm Y/N!" Velvet sent._

You and Fox headed inside the dormitory. You thanked Velvet and Coco for letting you stay in their dorm room.

you walked into the dorm and saw Yatsuhashi meditating.

_" is he on team speak?" You asked._

_" No, we never put him on team speak when he's meditating.." Velvet almost sounded scared._

Yatsuhashi opened 1 eye and saw you, " Oh, hey Y/N!" He opened another eye and stood up, " Why are you here?" He asked.

You were about to answer until Coco answered for you, " Her teammates are being bitches and kicked her out of her own dorm room."

" Sorry, Y/N, if it makes it any better, I never really liked your teammates." Yatsu shrugged.

" Yea they always criticize me and Fox, " Said Velvet, " At least your nothing like them, they HATE Faunus," Said Velvet, and Fox nodded in agreement.

" Anyway." Coco passed you a sleeping bag, " We have extra sleeping bags since we're always on missions for weeks, so you can use that."

" Thanks," You said as you put down your sleeping bag.

You heard a knock on the door then a voice," Go to sleep already, it's 1 AM!" Glynda shouted.

You and team CFVY laughed, " Goodnight, Guys," You said, and then everyone else said Goodnight. 

_" We should totally piss of Glynda tomorrow." Fox sent._

_" FOX, NOT WHEN I AM TRYING TO SLEEP!"_ Roared Yatsu, everyone laughed as you turned off the lights.

* * *

When you woke up, Team CFVY was asleep, so you used your semblance to change into your usual everyday clothes, a white tube crop top with your light pink leather jacket and white jeans.

You were walking around the gardens when you ran into Glynda, " Oh! Sorry Professor Goodwitch!" You apologized, Glynda smiled at you and said " It's fine, I was actually looking for you, Professor Ozpin would like to speak to you. " 

" Why do-" you were interrupted by the noise of a crash then you and Glynda both looked at the building near the gardens, the cafeteria, you looked up and saw a girl with blonde hair fly into the sky. You and Glynda looked at each other with confusion on your faces then both ran towards the cafeteria. You held on to the handle of Hush just in case there was a problem.

You were outside the cafeteria and you looked at the window, it was a food fight, you saw Team JNPR and RWBY, you and Glynda looked at each other in confusion, as you saw a girl with a red cape flutter petals behind her, and then you saw team JNPR get D E S T R O Y E D.

You looked at Glynda and she was PISSED,

You followed her into the cafeteria and saw the 2 members of team SSSN, you smiled at them and looked at Neptune who was covered in food. You stood beside Glynda. A bunch of food came towards you and you opened Hush then put it in front of you to block all food. Glynda used her semblance to fix the cafeteria.

" Children, please, do not play with your food," said Glynda as she fixed her glasses, then you saw the same girl with blonde hair fall back down from the sky-brothers how long was she in the sky?.

" Let it go," Ozpin put a hand on Glynda's shoulder.

_where did he even come from? I didn't even hear him come in-_

"Y/N, would you please go help them clean up? Asked Ozpin.

" Of course." You said as you walked towards Team RWBY and JNPR with Sun and Neptune.

" Well, that was quite a show. " You said and everyone stared at you.

" Yea, a show that got food all over me." Neptune wiped the food off of his clothes, " Well that just means you just can't dodge food, " Said the girl in a red cape.

You laughed, " Come on, I'll help you guys get cleaned up. " You let team RWBY and JNPR follow you into the Academy, they got clothes from their dorms,

" Soo what's your name?" Asked the girl with blonde hair, " Y/N L/N. What about you guys?" You asked, " I'm Yang Xiao Long, " Said Yang,

" Blake Belladonna."

" Weiss Schnee" oh gods, a Schnee,

" Ruby rose, I'm the leader of Team RWBY!" She introduced herself.

" Oh really? does it ever get confusing, that your name is ruby and your team name is pronounced ruby?" You asked and Ruby sighed, " Yeah it does." 

You looked at team JNPR, " And you guys?" You asked, staring at the 4 first years,

" I'm Jaune Arc, Leader of team JNPR," Said Jaune,

" Nora Valkyrie!" She said as she jumped,

" Pyrrha Nikos",

" Lie Ren, " He seemed really calm, maybe he and Yatsuhashi would be great friends,

"Soo... Y/N what's your team? Asked Jaune,

" Oh, I'm apart of team T/M." Everyone looked at you as if they were pissed, " Don't worry I'm not anything like them, I mostly spend my time going on missions with Team CFVY. I hate my team." Everyone sighed with relief and you laughed.

* * *

After classes were over, you headed to team CFVY's room. Coco put something on your scroll so you were able to head into their dorm whenever you wanted.

You went inside and saw everyone standing over a desk, " Hey guys!" you said then they all looked at you, " Oh, Hi Y/N," They all said.

" What are you guys looking at?" You asked.

Yatsu grabbed your hand and pulled you over to the table. You looked at all the papers with notes then looked at the paper in the middle that said ' Vytal Festival Dance',

" Oh, you guys are planning the dance? Cool."

You put your bag down near the table and sat on a chair,

" Yea, but we were wondering if you could help us, a while ago, we agreed on a mission at one of the mountains, we tried to talk to Port on letting you come with us but he declined, so while we're on the mission, were not sure if we will be back in time for the dance, so can you along with Team RWBY and SSSN plan the dance?" Coco asked.

" Yea, of course!" You were happy you could plan the dance, but sad that team CFVY would be gone for a WEEK. " Wait hold on what mountain?" You asked. You were afraid that they were heading to Mountain Glenn, where one of the White-fang bases were.

" Well it's not entirely a mountain, it's close to one, were going to a settlement called Lower Cairn, it was overrun by Grimm so we're heading there to find any survivors," Said Coco. 

You sat on Fox's Bed, _' Y/N that is MY bed, " Sent Fox, " I can sit where I want " You sent back_.

Fox scoffed but sat down beside you, you scrolled through your...scroll and messaged Samantha and Xanthe, you loved how your group chat name was the Unholy Trinity

* * *

_You: Yall Busy?_

_Sammie: Yea sorry, were heading to Mistral for a mission, next time, Promise Luv._

_Xannie: Were leaving right now, NIGHT Y/N WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOUUUUUUUUU._

_You: LOVE YOU GUYS TOOOOOO!!!!!!!!_

* * *

You always laughed at Xanthe's Texts, she was always so energetic, " _Who's Sammie and Xannie?" Asked Fox._

_"Friends" you sent._

_"_ _Well whoever they are, why are they going on a mission to Mistral? what academy do they go to? Fox asked._

_fuck_

"Yatsu and I are gonna go get food, we'll be back!" Said Coco as she left the room with Yatsu and closed the door.

 _" Y/N?" Asked Fox. W_ henever you zoned out, hearing someone's voice in your head always startled you, _" Who are Sammie and Xannie" Asked Velvet._

_" FOX, DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW TO KEEP A SECRET?" You sent._

_You elbowed him in the rib " OW SORRY, but seriously answer the question." Sent Fox._

_"They're just friends, "_ You sent as you got up and put your jacket on, and headed for the door until something hit you at the back of your head.

" OW!" You said out loud, you looked at Fox who was Grinning, _" Payback, but you are not leaving, why do you keep shutting us out, Y/N?" Sent Fox._

_" No more secrets," Velvet sent._

You sat back down beside Fox, Velvet was on the bed in front of you.

 _" If I tell you guys, promise you won't get mad?" You sent,_ Fox put a hand on your shoulder, and Velvet gave a warm smile, _" Of course not, we're not like your teammates." Sent Velvet._

" _Add Yatsu and Coco to team speak, I want them to hear this too," You sent._ After a few seconds, Fox asked, _" Coco? Yatsu?"_

_" Yeah?" Replied Coco, " Is something wrong? Yatsu sent._

_Fox chuckled, " No," Fox looked at you, " Y/N, Has something she wants to tell us, and on how nervous she is, I think it's something big." Fox sent._

_" Spill it girl " Coco sent._

_You sighed and looked at Velvet then Fox, " Do you guys know what the White-Fang is?" You asked,_

_" Of course, " Yatsu Sent,_

_" Bunch of Lunatics if you ask me, which in a way you did. " Sent Coco,_ oh gods this wasn't going to go good,

_" I was in the White-Fang" You sent._

_F_ ox started coughing like crazy, _" You were...?" Sent Velvet._

_"_ _Yea for most of my life actually." You sent._

_" When I was a baby, my parents left me, abandoned in the streets of Vale, I guess someone found me due to my non-stop crying and took me to a White-fang Base. I grew up in the White-fang, I may have been a human but no one really cared, and like you asked Fox, Sammie and Xannie are my friends, their real names are Samantha and Xanthe actually, I grew up with them, alongside Adam Taurus and Marrow Amin."_

You told them everything, even the part about Adam and Marrow, when Coco and Yatsu got back with food and you were still telling the story, you took off you jacket and showed them your arms and part of you back, they all gasped in shock, except for Fox since he couldn't see, so Coco told him everything that was on my back and arms.

_" That Dick," Sent Coco and Fox at the same time._

_" You guys aren't mad at me..?" You asked," I mean I was basically a Terrorist, "_ Fox snorted at your choice of words.

_" Y/N why would we be mad at you? you were just trying to help the Faunus, which in my case I think is very nice, I don't agree with the White-Fangs choice of everything but I think you did good,"_ Sent Velvet. Fox, Yatsu, and Coco nodded in agreement.

" Thanks, Guys," you said out loud, " Now let's eat I AM STARVING!" Coco, Fox and Velvet were all excited and you ate the best noodles you have ever tasted, we even decided to Invite RWBY and JNPR, you looked around and thought of a word that could define this moment.

 _'Family'_ , You thought.

_" We heard that" Fox sent._

_" FOX!"_

Then everyone started laughing, even team RWBY and JNPR, guess he let them on the team speak

Yeah...Family


	4. The Fall of Beacon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the Fall of Beacon, how are you gonna save your school?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY BUT THIS CHAPTER GOES THROUGH EVERYTHING REALLY FAST SO UH YEA.

There you were on an Airship heading towards Vale with Team CFVY and Professor Port, apparently, team RWBY started a Grimm attack on the city.

_" You all ready?" Coco asked,_

_" We trained for 2 years to kill Grimm, I think we're ready" You sent,_ even though you only accepted the offer into Beacon to learn how to kill and hunt down huntsman.

 _"_ Alright, let's go!" Said Port.

You all jumped out of the Airship and onto the ground, You walked with Team alongside Fox, " _On your right Fox," You sent_ , " _Thanks " He sent back,._ 3 Ursa's, Fox's weapon was perfect when it came to fighting Grimm or using Your aura as a Forcefield, so you let him take them. You watched as he killed them until you saw a Deathstalker coming towards you.

You used your parasol to block the hit of the Deathstalker trying to use its stinger on you and let Coco use her weapon to finish it off, you teamed up with Fox and headed for more Grimm until...

Glynda came.

she told you all to head back to Beacon and that she and General Ironwood would fix this mess.

You headed back to the school with Team CFVY and into the dorm, " Gods, how did team RWBY even start that?" You asked,

" _Apparently the White-fang had a whole train with bombs that would lead into the city. Team RWBY found out about it and tried to stop the train. the bombs, on the other hand, created holes in mountain Glenn which lead Grimm into the city" Fox sent._

_" Oh..."_

" Anyway, You guys ready for the Vytal Tournament? it's in a few days." You asked,

" Hell yeah," Coco said, _"Have you talked to your team recently Y/N?" Asked Fox as he turned Team speak on for the rest of team CFVY, " Yea, we're competing in the Vytal Tournament" You sent._

* * *

"WOOOOOOOOOOOO!! GO TEAM CFVY!!" You yelled in........... AMITY ARENA!!! You heard Professor Port and Oobleck talk on the Mic.

" Now, as we said again, welcome to Amity Arena! Now let's continue the fight between team CFVY and team RNGD! ( renegade ). You watched the fight for maybe 10 minutes.

 _it's a good thing Velvet isn't using her weapon it would be a shame to just waste it on some tournament, she always uses her fists and legs to fight but she has an awesome weapon, I can't wait to see her use it one day._

You were out of your thoughts when you heard Professor Port on the mic, " Team CFVY Wins!" WOOOOHOOOOO! You were non-stop cheering.

_I wonder who their gonna choose for the double rounds_

_" Good job, guys!" You sent._

_" Thank's Y/N, now come to the fairgrounds, were gonna get something to eat." Coco sent," Coming" You sent back._

You and team CFVY were walking towards a Noodle-shop until you bumped into team RWBY.

" Hey, Guys! " You said.

" Hey, Y/N! " Blake said.

Blake, the girl who wore a bow over her cat ears, you remembered how when you were planning the dance with team RWBY and SSSN, Blake was so tired and you decided to ask her what was wrong, she told you everything, when you found out she was in the White-fang you wanted to puke, you felt so guilty on how Adam did that to her too, you were surprised you never met her while you were in the White-fang though. You knew she was a Faunus during the first semester though, 1- because her bow moved at times, 2- you were at the docks with her and Sun when Roman Torchwick decided to do shit.

" You guys were awesome! So, who did you choose for the doubles round?" Asked Yang,

You looked at Coco, "I and Yatsu are going in the doubles round, hopefully, 1 of us can get into the solo rounds." Said Coco.

" Well we just wanted to say congratulations and-" Weiss was interrupted by Professor Port on the Mic, " _Would team RWBY please report to Amity Arena as your match starts in 5-_ " Port was interrupted by Oobleck this time, " 3 MINUTES AND 26 SECONDS, LADIES" Oobleck screamed into the Mic which caused feedback.

" Well, that's us!" Said Ruby, "Good luck!" You and Team CFVY waved them goodbye while they headed to an Airship that would take them into Amity Arena.

You got to the Noodle-shop and watched Team RWBY win their round, you and Team CFVY Looked at each other in approval, _" Now I know why Oz let Ruby in early, she's a really good fighter!" Velvet sent._ you all agreed.

Nothing could go wrong in the Vytal Tournament this year!

* * *

Oh, everything went wrong. 

Yang breaking off Mercury's leg in a fight was 1 thing for Amity Arena... but this, was far worst.

You were sitting with Team CFVY in Amity Arena, shocked to see your friend Penny ripped to pieces...

" Guy's what's going on?" Fox sent.

" Penny...Penny was just- she's dead..." Coco sent

_" Oh, my gods..." You and Fox sent._

_" Penny..." Velvet sent back._

You looked at Velvet, she was crying then everything went blurry, and you realized that with all the shock you didn't notice tears were streaming down your face.

You heard someone talk on the Mic, but it wasn't Port or Oobleck, it was the voice of a woman, you recognized her voice...

_" You guys..." You sent._

_" We know." Yatsuhashi sent back._

_it was Cinder Fall_

_" This is not a Tragedy, this was not an accident, this is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your children, to men who claim to be our guardians. but are in reality, nothing more than men. Our academies' headmasters wield more power than most armies, and one was audacious enough to control both._ _They cling to this power in the name of peace, and yet, what do we have here? One nation's attempt at a synthetic army mercilessly torn apart by another's a star pupil. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl? I don't think the Grimm can tell the difference. And what, I ask you, is Ozpin teaching his students? First, a dismemberment, now this? Huntsmen and Huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy, yet I have witnessed neither._ _Perhaps Ozpin felt as though defeating Atlas in the tournament would help people forget his colossal failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its streets. Or perhaps this was his message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces. Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong, but I know that the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves. As someone who hails from Mistral, I can assure you the situation there is equally undesirable._ _Our kingdoms are at the brink of war, yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark. So, I ask you, when the first shots are fired."_

You hadn't known Cinder for long, you met her teammate Emerald but barely talked to her, brothers, you couldn't believe Cinder Fall was making some evil ass speech.

You snapped out of your thoughts when you heard her last line,

_"Who do you think you can trust?"_

" _That last line just freaked the fuck out of me " You sent._

_" Same" They all sent back but they were still shocked to see Penny and Pyrrha down in the Arena, now Yatsuhashi and Coco were crying, but something was wrong, you felt it in your gut, and in the next few seconds you knew why._

**_Warning: Grimm Invasion: Threat Level 9_ **

_HOLY SHIT_

You looked up and there was A FUCKING NEVERMORE

" A Nevermore!?" Sun blurted out from beside you.

" How did it get past the kingdom's defences?" Coco asked.

" It wasn't alone.." Said Ren, you looked and saw that Team SSSN and JNPR were near you, then you saw Jaune.

" PYRRHA! THAT THING IS GOING TO BREAK IN!" He screamed.

You looked at Pyrrha and realized, fuck she was so shocked on how in a way she.. _killed_...penny, but this isn't her fault, it was Cinders.

" PYRRHA! YOU NEED TO MOVE!" You yelled and so did Sage from team SSSN, then you saw Jaune jump out and into the Arena.

" JAUNE!" You and Nora both yelled in concern.

"PYRRHA PLEASE SNAP OUT OF IT!" You heard the crack in his voice, he was crying, and you were too. You looked up and saw the Nevermore flying up.

_shit_

" JAUNE! PYRRHA! MOVE NOW!" You screamed so loud your throat started to hurt, then you saw the Nevermore fly back down. 

" PLEASE!" You screamed out, you _can't_ lose anyone else today, but it was too late, the Nevermore broke the Dust-protected glass and saw it fly down straight into the Arena, thank the brothers it didn't hit her or Jaune but it ended up making her and Jaune tumble back and fall.

You saw that it was about to try and attack Jaune and Pyrrha so you jumped down!

_" Y/N! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Fox Sent._

_You ignored the voice in your head, you're NOT losing anyone else today._

Then you saw the Nevermore tumble back and you wondered why, then you saw it, Ruby rose was using her _dead_ friend's weapon.

 **" LEAVE HER ALONE!"** Ruby screamed, you heard the crack in her voice, she was close to crying.

You kneeled down by Pyrrha who was still shocked, staring at Penny's piece of skin.

The Nevermore was flying and heading towards You, Ruby, Jaune, and Pyrrha, but then you looked up and saw the broken glass at the top of Amity Arena and it hatched an Idea.

_" FOX TELL EVERYONE TO CALL THEIR WEAPON!" You sent._

_" On It!" Fox sent._

You called your weapon as quickly as you could and so did everyone else which caused all the lockers to hit the Nevermore.

You ran up and grabbed Hush and saw Ruby's confused face, then she smiled as everyone was on the Nevermore with their weapons, it was official, it's the battle of beacon and everyone here will fight for their school, family, and kingdom.

Thank the brothers the Atlas Military was helping to clear out the Grimm and protect Vale.

well, at least that's what you thought.

* * *

You were on school grounds when you noticed the Atlesian Knights and mechs coloured eyes turned red, and now they were trying to attack you.

" WHAT?!" You yelled when the Mechs changed.

" Y/N! Call Blake, see if she knows where Yang is!" Ruby yelled.

" OKAY, COVER ME!" You ran to find a place where you could call Blake. You found a spot so you started dialling Blake's number.

" Blake!" 

_"Y/N! What's happening? I and Weiss are at the docks, we were just on a call with Yang, The White-Fang is here!" Blake said over the phone._

_shit_

" Something's wrong with the Atlesian Knights! Instead of attacking Grimm, they're attacking us! White-fang members are heading towards the school, same with Grimm, we could use some- " You ended with a loud scream

_" Y/N? Y/N? ARE YOU THERE? WHAT'S HAPPENING!" Yelled Blake._

_Call Ended_

* * *

" Call Ended, you heard her scream too right?" Blake asked.

" Yea" Weiss responded, " I hope she's okay." 

" By that scream, I don't think she is, come on, we need to get to the school," Weiss nodded in agreement.

Blake and Weiss got to the school after about 5 minutes.

" Be safe," Weiss said and Blake gave her a smile before they both ran off in different directions, Blake went after the White-fang members and Weiss headed towards the Atlesian Knights.

But what happened after, scarred Blake for life. He was here, _Adam._

* * *

There you were, laying on the floor, an Airship had crashed right beside you with a Grimm in it, and you didn't notice it, it scratched your back which caused you to fall forward, and before the Grimm could finish you off, you heard gunfire, it was Yang.

She finished off the Grimm since you couldn't, she helped you up.

" Holy shit, Y/N, You're bleeding like crazy!" Yang's hands were shaking and her eyes were wide.

" I'm fine, Ruby is looking for you, head to the courtyard, that's where everyone is. " You said and before Yang could respond you left, you headed towards some White-fang members. 

_Be Careful, Yang thought._

And that was the last time you saw her before it happened...

* * *

You were looking at Yang, just 10 minutes ago she was fine, now her arm is gone...

Team CFVY was somewhere at the school, Ruby and Weiss ran off to find Pyrrha and Jaune, while you went to find Team CFVY.

On your way to the school, you got a call from Jaune.

" Jaune! Where are you? Weiss and Ruby went looking for you!" _You said._

_" Y/N, You need to warn Weiss and Ruby!" Jaune Yelled._

_"_ What do you mean?!" _You asked._

_" Pyrrha, she's going after that woman from the microphone, at the top of the tower!" Yelled Jaune._

" Okay! I'll warn them! Where's Ozpin?" _You asked._

_" He.. He's dead, that woman killed him." Those words rang in your head._

_dead... dead... dead ... dead... dead, **he's dead.**_

You couldn't feel anything, you saw Ozpin as a parental figure, he knew your secret, he knew about everything, he trusted you with one of his secrets, he protected you, now the person who has taken care of you is dead.

You dropped your scroll, you couldn't think, you felt numb, you fell to your knees and screamed so loud everyone heard you and your semblance activated, all the glass around you broke, from how you were feeling. You could have caused every single window in Vale to break, but it didn't go that far, you cried, sobbed, and screamed for what felt like hours until you finally decided to get up.

* * *

A bright light flashed from the top of Beacon tower.

* * *

You turned around and saw how Beacon was on fire, Grimm everywhere and some dead White-fang members. you walked up to one stuck under a block, you recognized him from when you used to be in the White-fang.

" Y/N!?" He said.

" Hello, Cain."

" Y/N, please help me, if you stay here you'll die." He breathed out.

" I just did, do you want to know what it felt like?" You asked.

He looked at you confused then gasped really loud, you stabbed him in the heart using the Miscericode from Hush.

" That's what it felt like." 

* * *

You checked your scroll to see who was still in Range,

_Jaune Arc_

_Nora Valkyrie_

_Lie Ren_

_Ruby Rose_

_Blake Belladonna_

* * *

Blake's name ended up disappearing after a while, you remember when you saw her go, and Sun followed her. Honestly, part of you just wanted to run too, but Beacon was your home and you needed to fix it.

You saw Glynda and Qrow talking and decided to walk over.

" Hey, Kid," Qrow greeted.

" Hi, Qrow," You said.

" Did you find anything on Cinder, Qrow?" Glynda asked,

Cinder's name caught your attention, you remembered hearing that Cinder had also killed Pyrrha. You wondered how team JNPR was doing now.

" Yea tracked her down to one of the Academies," Qrow said as he pulled his flask out.

" Wait, which academy?" You asked. Qrow slightly turned his head and grinned.

" Haven Academy," He smiled, "You know, Ruby really misses you. You should go visit her and plan a...little adventure" He winked at you and you caught on, then saw him turn into a bird and fly away.

" Yea... Maybe I will." 

You checked your scroll again.

_Jaune Arc_

_Nora Valkyrie_

_Lie Ren_

_Ruby Rose_

You made a group chat with them.

* * *

You: _Who's up for a little adventure to Mistral?_


	5. Professor..Ozpin?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE IS A LIST  
> OF YOUR SEMBLANCE IN THE STORY  
> SO BASICALLY UR SEMBLANCE IS NEO'S BUT A BUNCH OF STUFF ADDED  
> \- ( Neo's) You can change into like how other ppl look  
> \- You can turn stuff into Glass and be able to break it too.  
> \- But if your really upset, and you turn something into glass you can't fix it.  
> \- If there's any broken glass you can turn it back into what it used to be so for example a cup  
> \- If you turn something into glass ( when ur not upset ) you can break it, then if you focus your able to bring what you turned into glass from thin air  
> for example a book  
> you have your hand on a table  
> you focus on what the book looks like  
> then you call it up and boom  
> BUT ONLY IF YOU TURNED IT TO GLASS  
> and u can break into glass if someone hits you but only if u know it's coming  
> so basically everything is related to glass

There you were standing beside Nora and Ren looking at a Drunken Qrow passed out on the floor and a 14-year-old boy claiming to be your dead headmaster.

* * *

* * *

* * *

You were travelling with the remaining Team JNPR and Ruby who now call themselves team RNJR or JNRR In Nora's case, but all that matters is that you were all together.

And you also wrote down everything that happened.

* * *

_Crazy Things that happened on the road to Mistral:_

_\- Some bitch tried killing Ruby_

_\- Qrow saved us though_

_-Everyone was surprised that he came_

_but I literally knew the entire time_

_since there was always a crow with an AURA WATCHING US_

_-Qrow told us about Maidens, relics, and Salem, I already knew about Maidens but had no idea about Salem or the Relics_

_\- Qrow got hella sick and almost died._

_\- we all split up_

_\- FOUND NORA'S AND REN'S OLD VILLAGE OMG_

_\- Creepy loud horse almost killed us, found out it killed Ren's parents._

_\- We saved Qrow_

_\- WE MADE IT TO MISTRAAAAAAAAAAAL._

* * *

" OKAY, CUT THE CRAP" You yelled and startled everyone ( Qrow even woke up from his 6 seconds of being passed out )

" What do you mean by ' You may know me as professor Ozpin'? Ozpin is dead, pipsqueak." You said.

" Yea can you kinda explain that...?" Asked Jaune.

" Oz says that will be explained tomorrow," Oscar said.

You scoffed, " This is the second most confusing thing I've ever heard in my life," 

" What was the first?" Ren asked.

shit, so quick story, you never told them about the White-fang and assuming Qrow hasn't said anything, Oz didn't tell Qrow about it and you never told them about Oz asking you to be a Maiden.

" That is a story for another time, listen, kid, if what you're saying is true, we have an extra room you can use." You looked at the young boy and he smiled and nodded.

You and Ruby helped Qrow to his room ( shared room with Ruby ) You headed for your sleeping area which was literally the couch, JNR shared a room and u decided to give Oscar your room, and plus, you were used to sleeping on couches.

Once everyone was in their rooms and Qrow was probably passed out, you pulled out your scroll and messaged the Group chat.

* * *

_You: What are yall thinking about this?_

_Ren: I mean out of everything we were told by Qrow, anything is possible._

_( Nora Changed her Nickname to 'ThunderBolt')_

_( ThunderBolt changed Y/N's Nickname to 'Barbie')_

_Barbie: HEY JUST BECAUSE I WEAR PINK DOESN'T MEAN I'M A BARBIE, I HAVE BROWN AND PINK HAIR, I AINT A BLONDE._

_Jaune: HAHA_

_( Jaune Changed Ruby's Nickname to 'Crater Face')_

_Crater Face: HEY_

_Ren; Guys-_

_( Crater Face Changed Jaune's Nickname to 'Vomit Boy' )_

_Vomit Boy: IT'S MOTION SICKNESS._

_( ThunderBolt changed Ren's name to ' Ninja' )_

_Ninja: Why_

_( Barbie Changed Qrow's Nickname to 'Drunken Roach')_

_Crater Face: what gave you the idea to put roach-_

_Barbie: There's a roach in my room, also, EW NORA COME KILL IT._

_ThunderBolt: On my Way._

_Barbie: Thank you_

_Barbie: But seriously, do you really think that kid is our DEAD Headmaster?_

_Vomit Boy: As Ren said, anything could be possible, let's just wait for tomorrow and see if he really is telling the truth._

_Drunken Roach: akjdasjn_

_ThunderBolt: Uh_

_Barbie: Ruby-_

_Crater Face: Taking his scroll right now._

_Drunken Roach: JIOIADSBHANO_

_Crater Face: Got it._

_Barbie: unholy shit how drunk is he?_

_Crater Face: LANGUAGE_

_ThunderBolt: LANGUAGE_

_Vomit Boy: LANGUAGE_

_Barbie: JEE SORRY, SORRY UR ALL STILL TEENY WITTLE BABIES._

_Barbie: Ruby what are you doing_

_Barbie: stop walking towards me_

_Barbie: RUBY Iakjsfhd bhuwbahksf ghusaibh_

_Crater Face: whatever you do, don't look in the living room._

* * *

It was morning and you, Oscar, Jaune, Ruby, Qrow, Ren, and Nora were all sitting in the living room.

You sat beside Qrow who was drinking coffee and decided to check his scroll.

" 35 Messages, what were you guys talking about last night?" Qrow asked. No one replied so he decided to check the group chat.

Qrow looked up from his scroll and looked at you, you weren't facing him but you smiled a bit, you FELT his stink-eye.

" Y/N," Qrow called.

You tried to hide your smile then turned around to face Qrow, " Yes?" You asked.

" Why is my name 'Drunken Roach'?" He asked.

You laughed a little, " I mean you were really drunk last night so you kept changing everyone's name," You said.

" Mhm yeah, but you see It says Nora changed everyone's name and that Barbie changed mine to Drunken Roach," Qrow said. 

You started BURSTING out with laughter then looked at him and said, " What are you gonna do about it?" Then you saw Qrow grab Harbinger and you grabbed Hush.

 _T_ he rest was history...

* * *

You sat down again and everyone looked at Oscar then, guess team RNJR got excited.

" HE'S CURSED!"

" OR REINCARNATED!"

" DID HE AGE BACKWARDS?"

" OH ISN'T IT WEIRD?" 

Everyone except you was crowded over Oscar.

" Yea it is kinda weird," Oscar said tiredly.

" Okay okay, we're all still new to this " Qrow said as he had his cup of coffee and sat down beside you.

" Thanks," Oscar said and Qrow nodded at him.

You saw Ruby and Oscar literally just like blushing- she can not have a crush on someone who she just met- you looked at Qrow and he decided to break up the moment between them.

" Mind showing us your little parlour trick, kid?" Qrow asked as he looked at Oscar, Oscar sighed " Yea sure." You looked at Qrow with a confused face and whispered " His semblance?" Qrow just smiled at you then you saw a green mixed with golden light, come from the corner of your eye.

" Ah, it is so good to see you again students," Ozpin said.

" What just happened?" Jaune asked.

" Professor Ozpin? " Ren asked.

" WHAT THE FUCK" You yelled.

" LANGAUGE!" Everyone screamed and Qrow just laughed.

* * *

Ozpin explained everything, you were honestly just SHOCKED 

" So everything you told us is true? There are 4 Maidens?" You asked Qrow,

" Kid you literally knew since your first year," Qrow said, THIS BITCH DID NOT JUST CALL YOU OUT-

like It was said before, YOU NEVER TOLD ANYONE THAT OZ ASKED YOU TO BE A MAIDEN

 _"_ Yes, Miss L/N, do you not remember when I asked you to be the Fall Maiden?" Ozpin Asked. 

" I do, I'm just acting like I'm shocked because I never told them I was asked to be a Maiden," You said and Gave Qrow and Oz a stink-eye.

"Oh," Ozpin realized.

" Wait, you were asked to be a Maiden?" Nora asked.

" Yea, during my first year, Oz asked me to be the Fall Maiden but I declined." You said.

You looked at Jaune he seemed to just be pissed at Ozpin and Qrow, you felt bad, maybe if you accepted the Fall Maiden powers, Pyrrha...wouldn't be dead.

' So you asked 2 first years to be Maiden's? " Jaune asked but he sounded really mad, Jaune, Nora, and Ren don't really like Qrow, since he and everyone else pressured Pyrrha to be the Fall Maiden, and now she's dead, you didn't know Pyrrha that well but you were good friends for a few months.

" Miss L/N was one of the best fighters-" he got interrupted by you, " I mean your not wrong, I was better then like every single 4th year and 3rd-year"

Ozpin chuckled.

" THIS IS PERFECT!" Nora yelled out of NOWHERE.

" WE WERE STUCK AT A DEAD END BUT NOW WE CAN CUTE LIL BOY OZPIN TO LIONHEART AAAND SET THINGS STRAIGHT!" She yelled in excitement and kept jumping up.

" Please don't call me that," Oz said, you chuckled a little.

" We don't think that's the... best idea," Qrow said, Nora pouted and sat down beside you.

" But I thought all headmasters took their orders from you?" Ren asked.

" Yes, But something has changed, Qrow told me about your recent meeting with Lionheart, he is disobeying specific instructions I gave him" You zoned out and started thinking,

_so every single headmaster knows this?_

then you started thinking about Team CFVY, and Samantha and Xanthe, with the CCT gone, communication is gone all across the world of Remnant, and only communication within cities still exist. there was no way to contact them, with Atlas borders closed. you may not ever see them again. And you couldn't leave RNJR to go to Vacuo for Team CFVY.

 _y_ ou were sitting on a couch beside Nora and Qrow, you had your hand on the couch, but thinking about Samantha and Xanthe made you upset, and what you didn't notice is that you started turning the couch to glass, very slowly.

The more you thought about them the glass started spreading to the rest of the couch faster than at one point you couldn't even control your thoughts, it went to Beacon, your school is shown on fire, and the building ruined, then you thought abt Pyrrha, you came back to reality when you felt a hand on your shoulder, it was Nora.

" Why is everyone staring at me? " You asked then looked at ur hand.

" Oh, Oops," You winced.

" You okay? " Nora asked.

" Yea, I'm fine, just thought about my old team," You never brought up Pyrrha with team RNJR, you knew better than that.

" Team T/N?" Ruby asked, " No, Team CFVY." You replied.

" How come you always went with them on Missions instead of your real team?" Ren asked.

You looked at Ozpin, he knew about your team and you wanted to tell everyone in this room why they hated you, but after you told Team CFVY and Beacon fell, they left you, so you weren't ready to tell your secret to people you've only known for a few months now.

" I didn't like my team at all, they were the girl versions of team CRDL. Just we had one guy.” You looked at Jaune who grumbled and you laughed a bit. Jaune always got bullied by Cardin, leader of team CRDL, and he always pulled on Velvet's rabbit ears, so you may or may have not kicked his ass one day.

" So who's going to train us if Qrow is out looking for huntsmen all day?" Ruby asked.

You saw Ozpin literally do a backflip onto one of the Sofa chairs and started spinning his cane up and down up and down up and down.

You looked at Team RNJR, Jaune and Ruby were shocked, Ren was slightly surprised and Nora gave a face that just said 'oh fuck you'

" Well, I believe I was the Headmaster of Beacon academy," Ozpin said " And Y/N Will be helping me train you"

" WOO!" You cheered

" Wait, but Y/N is a student like us, why is she-" You interrupted Jaune,

"1 because I am a better fighter then all of you, 2, I can beat the crap out of Qrow" You looked at Qrow and he gave you a ' no you can't ' face, " 3, I'm very good at hand-to-hand combat, 4, all of your stances are wrong, except Jaune's and that's it." you looked at Jaune, his face fell. You remembered how Pyrrha used to comment on Jaune's stance and trained with him every day. You saw Ozpin give control back to Oscar.

'wOAH wOA WHAHhhdsfhdb" You saw Oscar fall off the sofa, " You have got to be kidding me, " He said, you laughed a little.

_So training starts tomorrow, this should be fun._


	6. The Attack On Haven Academy

You were making dinner with team RNJR after a day of training, You trained Ruby and Oscar when it came to hand-to-hand combat, after showing them everything you decided to let them spar together.

You were beside Nora and helping her cut the carrots, while Jaune did the table and Ren and Ruby were cooking,

" Do you really think he's going to bring THAT many people? this is a lot of food!" Nora said as she started chewing the carrot, you smacked her hand so she wouldn't grab the next cut carrot.

" Ow!" She squeaked.

" No more eating the carrots." 

You heard the door open and a few footsteps, " I'm back!" Qrow yelled.

" Be right there!" Ruby yelled back, then you started hearing a few burning noises.

" Hey uh... Ruby?" Qrow yelled again.

" I'm COMING!" Ruby yelled back, then the burning noises got even louder.

"You're going to overcook that..." Ren said

" No I'm not, Shut up!" Ruby responded and theeeeen a bit of black smoke came from the pan,

" Fine you take over!" Ruby said, she walked to the table and grabbed a tray with a teapot and some cups on it, then she headed for the living room. You continued cutting carrots until you heard some glass break, you looked at Jaune and Nora, " I'm gonna go see what that was," You said and headed towards the living room.

What you didn't expect to see was Yang hugging Ruby, you looked at the broken glass on the ground and fixed it back to what it used to be, Ruby was crying then she extended a hand for Weiss to join the hug, Jaune, Ren, and Nora came out from the kitchen and smiled, and honestly so did you.

You stood beside Qrow when the hug ended and Yang invited in Jaune, Ren, and Nora in the hug. You didn't get invited into the hug, though.

_maybe she just didn't see you, you are behind her soo... oorrrrrr maybe she just hates you since you kinda took her sister away from home and didn't see her for almost 6 months_

Thank god you weren't touching anything right now because, with those thoughts, you'd be turning stuff to glass-

Qrow elbowed you in the rib

" OW!" You squeaked.

You looked at Qrow who was smiling and looking at the hugging teenagers. You followed his gaze and saw that they were extending an arm out for you to join the hug, you quickly ran into the hug and nothing else mattered. Everyone was here, except...Blake.

You were really close to chasing after Blake when she left, but you needed to fix Beacon, you just hoped it wouldn't have been the last time you saw her.

* * *

You sat down with everyone while Qrow and Oz- or oscar?- were talking in the living room.

Ruby made a GIGANTIC gasp, " YOU DID NOT!" 

" Yep, right in the middle of the party!" Weiss hid her face in her hands/

Weiss was telling a story on how she summoned a Grimm and almost attacked a lady ( BY ACCIDENT ) who was shit-talking about Beacon at a Schnee charity event.

" Please tell me you let that lady have it!" Yang said, " Yea!" You agreed.

" Of course not, even if I...really wanted to," Weiss said and you snorted.

" No way! I don't believe it" Theeeen Weiss summoned a boarbatusk right beside Nora. Nora screamed and fell down, Everyone started laughing.

You were happy to see Weiss out of her shell, and who knows, maybe you can finally become closer as friends.

* * *

" That's Incredible!",

" Amazing!" Everyone was wowed by Yang's new arm, during the Fall Yang lost her arm due to Adam and apparently, General Ironwood had a mechanical arm made just for her. You were glad Yang is still fighting, you weren't sure if Yang would ever go back to fighting, she was strong and smart, but when she lost her arm she just seemed like giving up, she seemed just...lost.

Ruby gasped AGAIN, " And it's just as strong!" Ruby said as she was playing around with her new arm, " Sure is" Yang replied.

You were startled when the table started shaking and you heard a BOOM.

" WANNA BET!?" Nora yelled.

" Nora, please, now's not the time," Weiss said, and then next you know it, Yang and Nora are in an arm wrestling fight.

" COME ON SIS! YOU CANT LOSE TO A GIRL IN A SKIRT!" You heard Ruby yell you started walking away from the kitchen and saw Qrow and Oz-oscar? in the living room.

" Hey, kid," Qrow said,

" Ah, Hello Miss L/N," Ozpin said, well now you know it's Oz.

" Hey Qrow, Hey Oz," You said as you opened a door that led outside.

" Where are you going? " Qrow asked. " Just getting some air," You responded.

you went outside and closed the door, it was dark out, the moon was well always the same, stars were connected, and the only light was Remnants broken moon, you sat in the dirt then laid down on your back and stared into the starry sky, you heard Nora yelling inside and laughed a bit.

 _I wonder how team CFVY is-_ _no no no, stop thinking about team CFVY or anything bad._

That didn't stop you from thinking about team CFVY.

You started thinking about them one-by-one. 

_Gods, I miss Coco's sarcasm,_ Coco was always known for breaking girls hearts, she wasn't looking for a relationship during her first year, she wanted to focus on her studies and try not to get kicked out of Beacon after she and her team decided to kick team CRDL's ass for bullying Velvet.

Fox, he was always so funny, you really loved annoying him and putting him into a headlock if he ever was a bitch to you, you and Fox hung out a lot, you were basically best friends, he was there for you when you needed him and you were there for him when he needed you.

Yatsuhashi, he was scary for how tall he was, a lot of people thought that he was like team CRDL since he was from Mistral, but none of it was true, Yatsu was one of the kindest people you've ever met, you meditated with him at times and hung out with him a lot, plus you trained with him like every day.

Velvet, the Faunus of the team, Velvet was a sweet girl, though she can be really scary if you piss her off, like seriously never piss her off.

Thinking of Velvet made you think of Marrow.

Marrow, you didn't want to admit it, but you missed him, and honestly, you missed the White-fang, you really wanted to kill Marrow, honestly if you ever find him you WILL kill him, but you missed him, his darkish-green hair, his light blue eyes, his soft lips-NO NO NO STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT, YOUR ONLY GOAL FOR MARROW IS TO KILL HIM.

You decided to close your eyes and calm down until you heard someone walking towards you, you recognized their Aura, Jaune.

You sighed, " Hey, Vomit Boy," You said and chucked a bit.

" Hey, Barbie " He sat down beside you, " So, what are you doing out here?" He asked.

" Just needed some air, the tension between Nora and Yang would have gotten real thick," You responded.

" Well, Yang launched Nora into a wall," Jaune said.

You started bursting out laughing, " HER ARM CAN DO THAT?" You yelled.

he sighed " Yep, never get in an arm-wrestle with Yang" You laughed even more.

" Oh. also we had a meeting with Ozpin, did you know Qrow can turn into a bird?" Jaune asked.

" Yea, when I was at Beacon tryna help rebuild it, he's the one that actually told me to plan the Mistral adventure." You chuckled.

'Oh," Jaune replied,

There were a few moments of silence.

" Jaune, I-I'm sorry, if I had warned Weiss and Ruby about Cinder then maybe they could have gotten to the tower faster, it's-"

You stopped talking when Jaune hugged you, " You don't have to apologize, " He said, " You were upset when I told you about Ozpin. I heard all that glass break, Y/N." 

You hugged him back, " Yea...I just...miss her" 

" Me too, we all do. Pyrrha always wanted to help others, even if it was a loss-hope, but she never gave up." Said Jaune, " Yea," You agreed,

" Now come on," Jaune said," it's getting pretty late, and I'm sure your couch bed is missing you." 

You elbowed him in the ribs and he started laughing but also winced, then you started laughing. 

" I am pretty tired" 

* * *

You were inside Haven academy after Qrow got a call from Lionheart that he talked to the council about finding Raven and taking the Spring maiden. 

What you didn't expect was that Lionheart teamed up with Cinder and the rest of the people responsible for the Fall of Beacon, you clenched your fists just seeing Cinder.

" What is wrong with you.." 

You looked at Jaune who had his head down.

" How can you be so broken inside?! to take so many lives, then come here and rub it in our faces like it's something to be PROUD OF!" You saw tears falling to the ground

" Jaune..." Nora whispered.

" ALL **WITH THAT DAMN SMILE ON YOUR FACE"** He screamed.

" EVERYBODY STAY CALM!" Qrow yelled, but you didn't listen, you already had hush out.

" **I'M GONNA MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID, DO YOU HEAR ME?!"** You heard the crack in Jaune's voice and you decided to look at him again, he had tears streaming down his face.

" Kid!" Qrow yelled but you didn't listen again, you extended the Miscericode out of the top of Hush. 

" **WELL, SAY SOMETHING!"** He screamed.

" Who are you again? Cinder asked

THIS BTICH.

You saw Jaune use his upgraded version of his sword and he swung towards Cinder, " JAUNE!" Ruby yelled, she used her Scythe to launch herself towards Cinder and Jaune until Emerald used the chains of her weapon to bring her down, "You're not getting near her " Emerald said.

Everyone had an opponent, you decided to join Nora and Ren in fighting Hazel

You used the handle of Hush and hit Hazel in the face with it, but it didn't do anything... 

He growled.

_oh shit_

He grabbed you like literally grabbed you, and threw you into a wall. The wall had cracks in it now and your aura shimmered, " Y/N!" Nora and Ren both yelled.

You hit your head on the wall pretty hard, you thought you were gonna pass out until a bright light shined. Ruby, " NO!" You heard her yell, You gave Nora and Ren a look and they nodded. You headed towards Emerald.

" You know, you were always a bitch at Beacon," You said as you walked towards Emerald, "Let's see you finally put that weapon to use" You growled and started fighting Emerald, each time she used her guns you opened Hush, it's dust-protected Fabric was able to protect you, everything was fine until _it_ happened.

Cinder.

You turned around and saw Weiss impaled with a Spear, then saw her fall to the ground.

You felt your whole world stop at that moment, something twisted in your gut and you couldn't even swallow. Tears were streaming down your cheeks,

" WEISS!" You heard Jaune yell. You and Jaune ran towards Weiss. You checked her pulse until Ren came. He was about to speak until-

 **"** OZPIN!" You heard someone roar, you turned around and saw Hazel looking at Oscar. Oscar and Nora were trying to wake Ruby up while Yang was fighting Emerald and Mercury, Qrow still fighting Raven.

" YOU THOUGHT, YOU COULD HIDE FROM ME?" He started ripping his sleeves off.

_kinda dramatic_

Qrow and Raven stopped fighting, you looked at Qrow and he was just as confused as you.

" YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID, AND YOU'LL DIE OVER, AND OVER AGAIN " He grabbed dust from the little packets at the side of his waist, and he just STUCK them into his arms. 

He roared so loud the ground started to shake. You saw Oscar walk backwards slowly and saw him saying something but couldn't hear, Hazel was about to land a hit on him until Qrow blocked it.

" Leo! open the path to the vault!" Cinder yelled, The statue of a Lady started moving down, it was like some elevator, Raven, Cinder and Vernal stepped inside. 

" STOP THEM! We've got your team covered!" Nora yelled and you looked at Yang, she was about to go until Emerald and Mercury stopped her.

_shit_

" Ren, how bad is it?" Jaune asked and you looked at Ren, " She's hardly breathing...I don't know what we can do." He replied.

" Nonono!" You kept checking her pulse.

" No, not again! " Jaune said, " COME ON PLEASE!" You heard the crack in his voice, tears started forming in his and your eyes.

You can't... you _can't_ lose anyone else.


	7. You...want to be the leader?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the title of the story will actually make sense near the end of this chapter- I PROMISE

" This is bad..." Ren said.

" Nono! It wasn't supposed to be like this! Please... we can't lose anyone else..." 

" Jaune..." You said while you were looking down at Weiss's body. Her Aura was bright.

Weiss gasped as she tried to regain her breath, still unconscious but breathing. Her aura was healing her. but-but how? You looked at Jaune and saw, he was using his Aura to amplify hers... he unlocked his semblance.

" Jaune... I-you just un-" You got interrupted by Ruby as she ran over, " What's going on?" She asked.

" I-I don't know but she seems to be stabilizing " Ren stuttered.

Ruby looked at Weiss. " Whatever you're doing don't stop, " Ruby said, " I won't " Jaune replied, Ruby looked behind her, she looked at Yang then Oscar, " Oscar needs help, " Ruby said.

" I'm on it," Ren stood up.

" Jaune and Weiss still need some cover" 

You and Nora looked at each other, " No ones gonna touch 'em. " Nora said.

" Alright, let's make it happen RNJR!" Ruby used her Scythe and launched herself towards Mercury and Emerald to help Yang.

" How are you holding up?" Nora asked.

" Good, and she's coming too, I just wish this could go faster." 

" Well stop complaining and be glad you unlocked your semblance," Nora said.

" Yea!" You agreed.

"...My...Semblance?" Jaune said then looked down at Weiss.

" How else do you think your healing her, dummy?" Nora said. You looked at Weiss and the Aura changed to blue instead of white.

_I don't think he's healing her..._

" Jaune... " You breathed out.

" I don't think I'm healing her... her Aura heals her so...it's more like I'm using my Aura to amplify hers!" Jaune said,

" Wait..." Nora said as she turned her head around, " Arent you afraid of running out?".

Jaune chuckled a bit, " Pyrrha once told me I've got a lot of it, I still believe her." He said.

" Good job, Jaune, you did it." You said and Jaune was about to reply until you both heard a scream.

" REN!!" Nora yelled, " GO! We've got her!" Jaune yelled back, Nora ran off to go help Ren, you looked at Weiss who was now awake, you didn't even notice her open her eyes.

* * *

You looked and saw Nora under Hazel and him using his dust to attack her, you were about to help her until you saw what type of dust he had in his arms.

_Electrical_

You smiled knowing what was about to happen, _and it happened,_ Nora literally THREW a Man 2 feet taller than her. You looked at Os-Ozpin who was now saying something to Nora but you couldn't hear.

" I don't need him to hurt, I JUST NEED HIM TO GO DOWN" She Yelled,

She roared and used her hammer to hit Hazel, causing him to break and go through a wall all the way outside. Damn, she just did that.

You heard Hazel scream and he had Electrical AND Fire dust. You looked around, everyone was tired except, you, Jaune and Ruby.

_Were close to losing._

* * *

Weiss was back on her feet and ready to fight. You fought Emerald and Mercury with Yang, you saw Weiss summon a Lancer and impaled Hazel and pulled him back into the School, you looked at Weiss and you were happy, 10 seconds ago she was laying on the ground being healed and now she's being a total badass.

You saw Weiss with a shocked face and followed her gaze.

_Oh My God_

" Blake..." You whispered below your breath, she was here, you looked behind her and saw that a bunch of White-fang members was being arrested. Hazel wasn't kidding, they really are here.

" Yang..?" Blake was even shocked.

" YANG! GO!" Ruby Yelled, you looked at Yang who started running to get down to the Vault,

" NO!" Emerald yelled and tried to grab Yang. You saw Mercury run up and grab Yang's mechanical arm. Her eyes flashed rad but they turned back to lilac, she was still running towards the hole that led down to the Vault and jumped down.

* * *

Blake jumped in and knocked Hazel down.

" Are you hurt?!" She asked. You were standing beside Weiss, " N-No! I just remember you being more of the quiet one.." Weiss said. You snorted at that.

" Not Today."

" Well then," Weiss said, " What's the plan, Ruby?" You heard Ruby chuckle then shot Lionheart in the arm and his Aura flickered, " Hmph", You saw Lionheart run into the doors then Hazel roared.

" CHECKMATE!" Ruby Yelled.

Everyone started running towards them but you stood there, " I WAS NEVER ON YOUR TEAM, I DON'T KNOW ANY OF THE TEAM ATTACKS-" None of them replied. You just decided to improvise and aimed for Emerald

* * *

" JUST GIVE UP!" Ruby yelled. Mercury was furious and punched his fist into the ground.

" IT'S NOT OVER! Cinder will come back SHE'LL HAVE THE RELIC! AND SHE'LL STOP ALL OF YOU! She won't let us down" Emerald said. You saw Emerald's face fall, she was looking behind you and you followed her gaze. it was Yang, holding a lamp that glowed blue and had gold all around it,

" Yang.." Ruby breathed out.

You looked at Emerald with tears streaming down her ceeks, " Sorry, but that's not Cinder" You chuckled.

Emerald fell to the ground. You felt kinda bad but you smiled, she deserved it, " Emerald get up we have to go.." Mercury whispered as he and Hazel stepped back, Emerald looked up then looked at Mercury, " Emerald!" He whispered again but louder, she looked back at you.

Emerald screamed and her semblance went off. Black fog with a hint of crimson formed in the middle of the room.

" Huh?!" You heard Blake yell, then the black fog disappeared and a lady appeared. She had white skin and dark red veins, and deep red eyes. her fingers twitched as if they had no bones.

She shrieked so loud you were honestly gonna go deaf, then she opened her mouth wide and came straight towards you. You opened Hush and put it in front of you but also shaking as to what you just saw

" What-What was that?" Blake asked, even she was shaking.

" An illusion" You heard from behind you and looked at Ozpin

" But an accurate one...that...was Salem" 

You widened your eyes

_that's who we're up against..._

You calmed down after a while and saw Blake with her family and Sun-wait

_SUN!_

Sun started walking towards you,

"SUN!" You cried and jumped into his arms, " Gods, it's been so long!"

Sun laughed " Hey Y/N! We have a LOT of catching up to do." He said, you laughed a bit and stopped the hug, " Go join the others, I'll be right there" You said and Sun nodded. You walked towards Ghira, the man who found you in Vale,

" Ghira.?" You asked as you slowly walked towards him, he looked confused until you saw him widen his eyes.

" Y/N...is that really you?" He said and you laughed a little, " Yea, it's been a while." You rubbed the back of your neck nervously.

" Brothers, I haven't seen you since you were 10 years old!" Ghira said as he hugged you. " Are you...still in the White-fang?" He asked,

" No, I left at 16." You replied and he made a sigh of relief.

" What are you gonna do with the White-fang now?" You asked.

" Well I'm thinking of starting a new movement, the White-fang will still run if I can find a leader capable of it and not one who has a perspective like Adam or Sienna." He said.

The White-fang was your family, and you abandoned them, maybe it was time to finally return...

 _"_ Can-can I?" You asked, you saw his eyes widen,

" Can I become the leader of the Fang? I don't have a perspective like Adam and Sienna. I promise I won't plan attacks or anything and we could go back to peaceful protests," You stated, " And since I'm travelling to different kingdoms right now, I could always check in with different bases and talk to Councils on letting Faunus into more shops." You blurted out, " Please, I know I can do this." 

You looked into his golden eyes.

He hesitated and finally spoke up, " You... want to be the leader? Do you really think you're capable of doing this? Your still a bit young" He said.

" I know I can" You responded.

He hesitated again, " I'll send a letter to each Base in every kingdom and tell them a new leader is rising up." He said. You widened your eyes, " THANK YOU!" You blurted out and hugged Ghira. " Thank you...so much" you whispered and he hugged you back.

So, your finally the leader, fuck, you did not think this through, How are you even gonna tell everyone? unless... you don't tell them? 

Time to travel the world, next up, Argus and Atlas.

You'll even see Samantha and Xanthe! and if you head to Vacuo, it's no doubt that your gonna find team CFVY.

Leader of the White-fang... well it's Time to Reunite with everyone

And it's time to find him...

Marrow


	8. Your Semblance

**_HEY_ **

**_SO THIS CHAPTER IS JUST WELL NOT A CHAPTER, IT'S JUST ABOUT YOUR SEMBLANCE AND EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND_ **

**_( I recommend reading it )_ **

**_( It's not long )_ **

* * *

** _\- Your character is based on Neopolitan, hair, weapon, eyes, and semblance, but I added stuff to the semblance so._ **

** _\- You can change into how other people look, ( Neo's semblance) but your eyes color will always stay the same._ **

** _\- You can break into glass when someone hits you, but only if you know it's coming._ **

** _-You can turn stuff into glass and break it, and if you did that your ability to call it up out of thin air, For EXAMPLE: If you turn a book into glass, focus on what the book looks like and you can bring it from thin air but ONLY if you turned it to glass._ **

** _\- When your upset, whatever your touching can turn into glass and you won't be able to break it, ( Only if your upset though then you can't break it )_ **

** _\- You can summon whatever Grimm or well anything you've defeated before into glass ( Weiss's semblance) but you've never succeeded in it and each time you try and mess it up, it takes up a lot of your Aura._ **

** _\- If there's something in the air that you need to turn into glass, you can do that, it would be like telekinesis kinda, but only if you try turning it into glass, whatever is in thin air and for example if it's falling, you can put ur hand out and stop it in mid-air if you turn it to glass, ( But you haven't figured that out yet, but u will soon)_ **

** _\- yes you are now the leader of the White-fang._ **

** _\- yes you see Marrow in Atlas and you reunite with Samantha and Xanthe._ **

** _OH WHENEVER YOUR REALLY UPSET LIKE FOR EXAMPLE WHEN YOU FIND OUT SOMEONE DIED AND START SCREAMING, A BUNCH OF GLASS STARTS TO BREAK IN BUILDINGS OR ANYWHERE NEARBY_ **

** _\- if there's any broken glass on the floor you can fix it to what it used to be like for example a mug._ **

** _-_ **

** _-_ **

**_The next chapter should be posted right after this._ **


	9. Argus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY IT'S KINDA SHORT.

It's been 2 weeks since the Attack on Haven, a few hours before you were to head to the train station with everyone. You said goodbye to Ghira.

" I've sent a letter to every White-fang base in the kingdoms, they've been informed of your new role, and all the money the White-fang has will be sent to your account." He said and you hugged him.

" Thank you so much, I promise I won't let you or the White-fang down." He hugged you back, " I know you won't, you have a good heart Y/N." You smiled and he gave you a paper, " What is this?" You asked, " It's a list of where every White-fang base is in the Kingdoms, Goodluck," He said, and like that he headed for the ship with Kali that would take them to Menagerie.

Leader of the White-fang.

You smiled just thinking about it, but then realized how much paperwork and meetings with councils you would have to do-

You were snapped out of your thoughts when you heard Nora, " COME ON Y/N! WE NEED TO PACK!" You laughed a little and followed her back into the house to pack.

* * *

You were sitting at the train station beside Oscar, you were hovering over his shoulder to read the magazine he had in his hands, he sighed, " Y/N, are you seriously just gonna read from MY magazine the entire time?" He asked.

The magazine had lots of designs for weapons and upgrades. When you get to Atlas, you can upgrade to Hush. Xanthe, who made Hush, well Hush was a normal Parasol until Xanthe decided to add some upgrades, like dust-protected fabric or the Miscericode, she was trying to upgrade it so it can turn into a gun but didn't have all the supplies.

" Yep," You popped the 'p'. he sighed again, " You know you can go get your own?" 

" I would but they make you pay to get them if your older than 16," You scoffed, " Bullshit."

" LANGUAGE!" Everyone yelled.

" IT'S ENGLISH MOTHERFUCKERS" 

Qrow laughed a bit, " You kids ready?" He asked then looked at Yang, " Bike all loaded up?" She gave a thumbs up in approval while Ruby had her arms up in the air, " Yep just waiting on Blake." Weiss said.

blake

Blake reunited with her team and was now travelling with you and everyone, she was saying goodbye to Sun and Ilia right now.

During the past 2 weeks, Sun reunited with the rest of his team, team SSSN, It seemed like a nice reunion but Sage and Scarlet seemed a little mad at him for leaving, but you all spent the last 2 weeks together.

You saw Blake coming down the stairs and she sat beside you and you smiled at her, you looked at the top of her head.

_No more bow._

You smiled at her again and you put your hand on hers, " Never did like the Bow" You said and Blake laughed a bit and smiled back at you.

**Will all passengers in Area 16 get ready as the Argus Limited is now here.**

You stood up and grabbed your bag, and of course, it was a pink and white bag, " Argus here we come!" You said and everyone cheered

WOOOOOOO!

* * *

Not WOOOOO, not WOOOOO at all, JNOR shared 1 room while RWBY shared another in the train, you shared one with _Qrow._

You didn't mind Qrow, in fact, you two got along pretty well, RWBY was a team, JNOR was now a new team and you and Qrow were your own team but he preferred to work alone which honestly you did too, so you don't work together a lot.

_wait, maybe it was Team ORNJ? Since JNOR isn't a colour, why did Oz always do the Color team rule?_

You were laying on the bed when you started thinking that, " Hey Qrow?" You called, " Yea?" He said, " Why did Oz always want the Team Color rule?" You asked, " I honestly don't know, kid" He responded.

" What was your team's colour?" You asked,

" Team STRQ was White" 

" Ohh,"

' I'm gonna go get a drink and check-in with everyone. " He said, you nodded at him then he left the room.

You laid on the bed and closed your eyes and relaxed, until, well, it was pretty obvious, Grimm. 

You got up quickly and grabbed Hush, Team RWBY passed by your room with Qrow and Weiss stopped at the door for you, " Come quick, Y/N!" The ex-heiress had said.

You got on the top of the train and you made sure not to open Hush, if you did, you would be flying off this damn train.

" What's the plan, Ruby?" Yang asked, " Don't let anyone else die" Ruby responded.

_not entirely a good plan but okay_

* * *

" TUNNEL!!" Oscar screamed. You looked at Ruby " GO!" She yelled, you jumped down and headed inside the train, Nora, Jaune, and Ren soon jumped off after.

You walked into the next cart and saw a man, dee, or Dudley? you think his name was, his arm was badly bruised. You focused on his aura, he had a broken arm, you looked at Jaune and he walked towards him to heal his arm.

" Ren, do you think you could mask everyone on this train?" Nora asked, looking at Ren.

" I-I don't know, I've never done this many people before," Ren said, " Well you've never had Jaune's help before," You smiled at that, Jaune's semblance, Amplifying Auras, " He could Amplify your Aura!" Weiss said,

"Yea... That's a good plan," Qrow said, you looked at Oscar who then quickly switched to Ozpin, " I'm afraid there is one complication.. the Grimm are also attracted, to this." He gestured to the Relic and you felt the mood in the room quickly change.

" Why didn't you tell us that!?!" Yang Growled,

" I-" Ozpin was about to talk until he was interrupted,

" It doesn't matter right now," Ruby said, "Every second we're on board this train, we're putting everyone else in danger. Get the passengers to the front cars, you'll still mask the emotions and kill the turrets... we just can't come with you. If we cut the back cars with us and the Relic on them, we can deal with the Grimm. You just make sure the rest of the train makes it safely to Argus." 

Jaune walked up to her, " Only if you promise you'll meet us there" Jaune said, " Promise" Ruby responded and they both smiled. You headed with team RWBY, Oscar, and Qrow back onto the train while JNR led everyone into the next part of the train.

_Okay, all we have to do is just kill the Grimm, somehow get this part of the train to Argus and then head to Atlas, everything should be fine._

You extended the Miscericode out of the top of Hush. You looked at Weiss who already had 3 glyphs up in the air ready for you. You jumped on each until you reached the last one, you made sure the Miscericode was extended from Hush then jumped off the Glyph and aimed for a manticore. When you were close to its head, you moved hush to the left, then once you were by the manticore, you moved it to the right to cut its head off. You looked at it turn into black and white dust.

You were about to aim for another Manticore until the Sphynx shot a fireball towards the train tracks.

_oh shit_

Weiss used her glyphs to keep everyone on the train, it got to the spot where the fireball hit, and the train fell off the mountain, Weiss's glyphs didn't last long as you fell off and into the snow.

" Ow," You winced.

" Everyone okay?" Qrow asked.

" Yea," Everyone informed. 

" Still alive!" You heard an unknown voice say, you looked at the doors of the train and saw an elderly woman with long silver hair braided and prosthetic eyes, she had a cane in her hand which had a skull at the very top.

" Now that was a close one wasn't it?" 


	10. There was so much you hadn't told us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS KINDA LONG SO YW

" GREAT!" Yang yelled as she tried to pull Bumblebee out of the snow, "We're stranded!" She said with a struggling voice, " We've lost a 3rd of our party and we've gained a DEFENSELESS OLD LADY!" She said then fell into the snow as she got Bumblebee out...until Bumblebee fell down.

" My name is Maria Calavera!" She said, " and I am not defenseless! I'm just a little hard of hearing. And blind without my eyes, that is in _desperate_ need of repair. " She said, you looked down at her and gave her a look "Okay, I'm starting to see your point," Maria said.

You laughed a little, " By the way, I love the skull, reminds me of the Grimm Reaper" You said. You saw Maria frown.

"Yang, knock it off, will ya? If we lose our cool now, we'll just be inviting even more Grimm." Qrow wasn't wrong.

" Does that even matter?" Blake asked, " Apparently we've been attracting Grimm ever since we left Haven, " Blake said,

" OH! And how could I forget about that?" Yang said sarcastically, "What happened to "no more lies and half-truths?" She asked.

" I did not lie to you," Ozpin said, " Well you certainly didn't tell us everything about the relic" Weiss spoke up.

" Please, now is not the time," Ozpin said, "No, we're past that! I wanna know why you're _still_ not telling us everything!" Yang yelled. 

Ozpin sighed, " It is true that the Grimm are attracted to the Relics. It's faint but undeniable. I believe it has to do with their origin, but I'm not entirely sure. Regardless, I feared that making you all aware would only add anxiety and negativity. It seemed like the safer option." 

" You know, I'm getting real tired of people choosing what's best for me," Weiss said.

" Is that why you chose to lie to everyone about Lionheart too?" Yang asked,

Ozpin started walking, "Yes, as a matter of fact, I believed the Kingdom of Mistral deserved better than the truth. And I believed Leonardo deserved to be remembered for his lifetime of service, and not for the unfortunate missteps he made in his final years." 

" MISSTEPS?!" Yang yelled.

"What Professor Lionheart did was reprehensible. I am not here to argue differently, but does one lapse in a judgment truly negate all of his good? Do we not all have regrets? You may have met Professor Lionheart, but you never met the man he was before Salem found him." Ozpin said.

" Look, we're supposed to be in this, together. You can trust us! We're not gonna turn our backs on you." Yang said.

" Yea!" You agreed, " We're all in this together now, we've agreed to help you and technically I agreed to help you back at Beacon so you can trust u-" You got interrupted " **DO YOU REALLY THINK LEO WASN'T THE FIRST?"** Ozpin roared with those words echoing throughout the forest you were in with all the trees covered by snow, your face fell when he said those words.

" That he didn't say those _exact_ same words to me?" Ozpin asked.

" I'm sorry, but you have to understand that my behaviors are backed by experience. I'm not saying that I have reason to think you will betray me. I'm saying that I have reasons for the things that I do, the secrets I keep, the reason I..." He looked down to his hip and his eyes widened, " Where's...the Relic?" He asked.

" Right here" You heard Ruby say from behind you, you looked at her to see her holding the lamp close to her.

" Please, hand it over," Ozpin said.

"So, all those times you talked about having faith in humanity, that was just for everyone else?" Ruby asked. Ozpin sighed, " That's not what I meant to suggest. Miss Rose, the Relic is a powerful item and I simply feel as though it is my burden to bear." 

" But, I thought you said it couldn't do anything right now?" Ruby asked, " Why does it matter who carries it?" Blake asked, 

" I need you to listen to me--" Oz started shaking, trying to open his mouth, you were confused and looked at Qrow, " Oz?" He asked, 

The voice changed quickly, " Hurry-- he's...trying to stop you" Oscar said.

_Oscar?_

Oscar was shaking, breath trembling " He's afraid... you'll find out what he's... hiding!" Oscar said as he fell to the snow, " Her name is Jinn. Say her name to summon her."

" Her name?" You and Ruby asked at the same time, Ruby hesitated until she looked down at the lamp. " Jinn?" 

Everything stopped.

The snow that was falling was frozen, the wind that was rushing had stopped, the trees weren't moving anymore, everything just stopped.

' What..?" Qrow said under his breath.

" How..." You said. You looked at the lamp and so did Ruby, it was glowing blue, making a noise as if something wanted to be let out, Ruby let go of the lamp and It started to move on its own in Mid-air. it stopped then a bunch of blue fog came out. You couldn't see clearly but the shape of a body started to form and a woman. Her skin was light blue and glowed, She has elongated, pointed ears, a chain headdress, golden big hooped earrings, a choker, cuffs on her wrists with chains dangling from them like broken shackles.

She stretched and yawned. 

" Wonderful," She said, " Tell me, what knowledge do you seek?" You had your eyes widened, you were shocked.

_A woman just came from a small lamp and she is like 12 feet tall-_

"I am Jinn, a being created by the God of Light to aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. I've been graced with the ability to answer three questions every one hundred years. You're in luck, as I am still able to answer--" She was about to continue until Ozpin yelled, " THAT'S ENOUGH!" His words echoed.

_he...he lied to us..._

You trusted Ozpin, with all your life.

"..2 questions this era.." She finished her sentence then chuckled a bit. You stood beside Qrow and looked at Ozpin, eyes wide. " It's a pleasure to see you again old man" She said.

_again??_

" Ruby..Please..don't" 

You and Qrow looked at each other " Hey-" Qrow said, " You guys-" You said after, you both stopped when Yang had her fists in front of you and Weiss had Myrtenaster pointed at Qrow.

" Do whatever you think is right, kiddo" Qrow said and you nodded in agreement.

Ruby hesitated for a bit until her face became serious and she turned around, " Jinn" She said, Jinn had a 'yes?' face on her, " What is Ozpin hiding from us?" She asked.

 **" NOOOO!"** Ozpin screamed. You looked at him and saw him running, you tried to stop him but he was too fast, he was about to attack Ruby until everything turned white.

'What...?" You breathed out, " Blake? Qrow? Maria?" You yelled out but no response.

_am I dead?_

You kept thinking you were dead until a blue fog appeared in front of you then taking you inside a room. You saw a girl sitting by a mirror doing her hair.

" Once upon a time, there stood a lonely tower..." You heard Jinn's voice but she was nowhere to be seen.

" ...that sheltered a lonely girl."

" Named... Salem."

* * *

_She can't be killed, why-why would he hide this from the people who trusted him?_

" Salem..cant be killed," Yang decided to speak up, " You all heard her too right?!" 

" I-" Ozpin tried to talk.

" There was so much you hadn't told us! how could you think that was okay!?" Yang yelled.

" Professor?" Ruby called, " What is your plan to defeat Salem?" She asked.

" I..don't have one" Ozpin said, you widened your eyes in shock. You heard Qrow give an outraged yell and looked at him and saw that he punched Ozpin into a tree, you walked up to Qrow but stood back a little and just looked at Ozpin. Shock and betrayal written all over your face.

" No one wanted me... I was cursed... I gave my life to you because you gave me a place in this world... I thought I was finally doing some good..." Qrow said, just hearing those words made you even more upset, guess you weren't the only one who trusted Ozpin with their life.

" But..You are!" Ozpin yelled, with tears in his eyes.

" Meeting you... was the worst luck of my life..."

Tears started running down Ozpin's cheeks, eyes wide open, " Maybe your right.." He breathed out, you were confused at his words until you saw his eyes glow, Oscar winced and put a hand over his cheek.

" What happened?" Ruby asked.

" He's gone.." Oscar replied

"THAT BASTARD! TELL HIM WERE NOT DONE YET!" Yang yelled.

" No, this is different. He's gone. It-- It's like he's locked himself deep inside my head. Our head? I hate this! I want it to stop!" Oscar yelled as he put his hands on his head.

" He just left us?"

" What do we do now?"

" Enough! We need to get move on. It'll be dark before we know it, and every one of you is spewing negativity! There's a trail over there, trails usually lead somewhere." Maria yelled.

" Listen, lady, I don't know who you think you are but-"

" NO BUTS!" Maria interrupted Yang.

" I understand that you're upset. Honestly, I'm still coming to terms with the fact that this is humanity's second time around. But, if we don't move, we die. And I'll be damned if I've lived this long just to die out here in the cold!" She said.

Ruby agreed, " She's right, come on."

Maria helped Oscar up

You helped Weiss put her dust back into her suitcase, thank the gods it didn't explode on the way down.

You looked over at Oscar and Ruby, you couldn't hear what they were saying until you heard Qrow " Don't lie to him Ruby" He said, taking a long chug from his flask, " Were better than that" 

You all started walking towards the trail, you looked at Qrow who kept drinking from his flask, you were worried for him.

* * *

" I thought trails led somewhere?" Yang asked Maria.

" Do you have nothing better to do than to harass a defenseless old lady?" Maria said while she was sitting on Yang's bike.

you laughed a little until Ruby spoke up " Quiet!" 

You all heard a squeaking noise, you walked towards a small village called Brunswick farms.

  
" I don't get it. The empty towns I've passed through were all damaged or unfinished. But this place looks... fine." Ruby said, 

Qrow opened a gate, " Come on, we could all use some rest." You all walked towards one of the biggest houses in what looked like a settlement.

" Maybe everyone left in a hurry? before things took a turn? " Weiss suggested. Yang looked at you, you knew that face and you nodded, soon everyone was looking at you.

You tried to see if there were any Active aura's, You focused,

_remember what Fox taught you, 2 years._

it was like Meditating with Yatsuhashi, " Manifest and Focus" he always said.

everything went quiet, it was like meditation but standing. Soon you felt something, but it wasn't an Aura, or at least you don't think it is? it was..different.

You were confused then you heard the wind again, " Well?" Blake asked.

"I...I felt something but..it was different..I don't know what it was, though" You said, 

" Stay on guard," Qrow said and he kicked down the door, you all ran in with your weapons out.

Nothing.

" Close the door already!" Maria yelled as she walked in, " It's cold enough in here already"

" I saw a chimney outside, maybe we can get a fire going?" Blake suggested, " Please, I'll look for some blankets," Weiss said, " Y/N, Yang, go with her"

You walked up the stairs, Yang went into a room and found some blankets. but you felt...whatever you felt earlier, you looked to your left and it was like something was attracting you to it, " Y/N?" Weiss asked, ' What are you doing?" 

" Whatever I felt earlier, I think it's behind this door..." You said, Weiss went in front of you and nodded, she opened the door.

You both screamed.

On the bed were 2 dead bodies, no blood, but blackness around their eyes, their veins were black.

You and Weiss were breathing heavily, you both fell to the floor. Yang ran in soon after and kneeled down, " What is it?" She asked.

_HOW DID SHE NOT JUST SEE 2 DEAD BODIES_

She followed your gaze then gasped, then soon everyone else ran in and gasped.

"Oh my gods..."

* * *

You and Qrow went out to see if there were bodies in the other houses, you didn't wanna go but you were the only one here who could recognize whatever the feeling was like in the house.

" That one, " You said, looking at a house on your right, you both walked in, and you felt the same thing over and over again in every house, and saw it over and over again...

" Anymore houses? " He asked, you focused, relieved your stress, you thought about Team CFVY, Samantha and Xanthe, anything that could make you calm enough to see where else.

_Manifest and Focus_

you felt it, but not in just 1 house, in every single house...

" Every single house."

" What?!" Qrow blurted out

" It's so strong, I can feel it all around us, their all dead, Qrow." You said.

He sighed, " Come on, let's get back to the house"

You and Qrow walked back to the house and into the living room where everyone was sitting.

wiping the snow off your jacket, you looked at Qrow who then looked up and stared at everyone, " It's the same at every house, " He said.

" What?" Yang asked.

" Bodies..." You couldn't even finish your sentence so Qrow finished for you, " Bodies, every single bed in every single home, it's like the whole estate just went to sleep and never woke up." He said, you and Qrow walked towards the fireplace and you sat down beside Weiss.

" Were not staying here, are we?" Weiss asked.

" We don't have a choice, the storm's only getting worst outside, we'd freeze to death before getting anywhere," Qrow said and you nodded in agreement 

" Well, " Maria said, " Better get comfortable "

Yang scoffed, " Yea, Fat chance" 

" Alright then" Ruby decided to finally speak up, " Let's do something, if this place wasn't abandoned it might have some resources we can still use around here, " 

Oscar agreed, " Yea, maybe even a car!" 

" Me and Y/N Will do another sweep of the grounds," Qrow said as he looked at you as if waiting for your response when you didn't really have a choice

" Fine" You scoffed.

You got up and grabbed Hush, Ruby and Weiss went to find some food in the house while Yang and Blake went to go find a vehicle. Oscar and Maria stayed in the house, Oscar was too young to see any dead bodies, and Maria was too old to move quickly if there were any Grimm.

You went outside with Qrow and looked around the houses again, you were just so tired, you wanted to just pass out.

 _what am I even doing here?_ You thought to yourself.

_I went to Beacon to learn how to kill huntsman, now I'm stuck with some bitches at an abandoned village._

You snapped out of your thoughts, you were shocked that you were thinking that.

_gods no! I'm here to help with the Relics. once we're done with this Salem threat I can go back to finding Marrow._

Yes, you may have went to Beacon to learn how to kill huntsman, just like Qrow and Raven but Qrow has changed, maybe Raven didn't, but you also changed, your dedicating your life to helping and protecting others, it's the reason you became the leader, equality for Faunus.

" Nothing in here, other then books " Qrow said, " Oh, books!" You ran up to a bookshelf. You and Blake loved books, it's something you both had in common, you looked through the bookshelf and found one.

During her first year, Blake was reading a book called the 'Man With 2 souls'

kinda weird how that book really refers to Oscar-

You grabbed a book called 'The Man with 2 souls part II' The man with 4 souls. 

" Okay let's go." You said, you held Hush out in front of you and Qrow as the snowstorm was getting worst.

You got to the house and went inside to find Ruby holding a can of beans in front of you and Qrow. Blake and Yang were already back from looking for vehicles, "I and Blake found something, we'll hook it up to Bumblebee tomorrow" Yang said.

You sat down on a couch while Ruby and Blake tried to figure out how to use the kitchen stove- if there even was one, you closed your eyes and meditated, but instead, you were seeing everyone's Aura, something was wrong with it.

it was like everyone's Aura was being taken away slowly..?

You were confused but you were so tired, you decided to let it go, soon Ruby and Blake handed out some plates with the beans on it, you don't like beans but it's the only thing to eat here. You put your plate away and sat back down on the couch and yawned " I'm so tired" 

" Makes sense, your always so lazy, you honestly do nothing. " Yang said. You looked at her and thought she was joking but her face was serious, " Excuse me?" You asked in disbelief. Yang soon widened her eyes, " I-I'm sorry I don't know why I said that I'm just so tired." She said.

" You don't say rude things when your tired." You said looking at Yang and soon left the room and wandered around the house, and found what seemed to look like a small bar, some bottles were gone, probably Qrow, he did find some alcohol.

You sat down on a stool and looked at a bottle in front of you.

_maybe..?_

_NO_

_well I mean, your only 2 years before the legal drinking age so..._

You grabbed the bottle and you were about to drink it until someone came in

" Nope!" Maria said as she took the bottle from your hand, " we don't need any more drunkards in here" Maria said, referring to Qrow.

You sighed, " I don't even know why I thought about drinking that during the worst moment possible" 

" I can tell somethings on your mind, what's wrong?" Maria asked

You were honestly just worried about the White-fang, with Adam still in Mistral he could still be running the White-fang in Mistral, and if they did get the letter about you rising up, then it's no secret Adam will defend his seat, even if means killing whoever tries to take his seat. But he wouldn't kill you, even if you never saw eye-to-eye, always fought, and he attacked your school. He grew up with you. in a way, he was still your friend.

" Nothing that anyone here should we worried about, just my own problems. "

" I may be old but I'm not dumb.." 

You chuckled a bit at her words, you couldn't believe it, but you were about to tell an old lady you met 5 hours ago one of your biggest secrets.

" Can I trust you?"

" Kid, of course, you can, " Maria said, you looked around to see if anyone was near.

" Have you heard of the White-fang Maria?" You asked.

" Yep, a bunch of misguided Faunus."

_at least she didn't say, lunatics._

" I'm the leader of the White-fang" 

Maria's prosthetic eyes opened wide as she started coughing, really similar to how Fox reacted back at Beacon.

" Were you the leader during the Fall of Beacon and Attack on Haven?!?!" She asked, almost really loud for everyone to hear.

" No!! Brothers no! After the Attack on Haven, the White-fang needed someone other than Adam Taurus, " You said, " I grew up in the White-fang, I may be a human but they took me in and raised me for my entire life and I turned my back on them, they are my family, and I can't let them down, so I asked Ghira Belladonna if I could step up, he agreed and sent a letter to every White-Fang base in the kingdoms, so it's official, I am now the leader of one of the most dangerous organizations in the world of Remnant, but I don't plan on doing attacks, instead just meetings with councils and trying to get people to agree on letting Faunus into shops or stores." You informed Maria.

" Have you told any of your friends?" Maria asked, " No, the only people who knew I was in the Fang was my old team at Beacon, and my new team who are now in Vacuo and well...Ozpin"

" Do you ever plan on telling them?" She asked.

" I-I don't know..." how could you tell them you were the leader of an organization that led the Fall of Beacon, the Attack on Haven and killed many people? They would never forgive you. " They wouldn't take it lightly, they caused the Fall of Beacon and the Attack on Haven, yet I still came back to them." You said.

" Well, you can trust me with your secret, Y/N" Maria informed, " Now come on, everyone's sleeping and you and I are the only ones awake,"

She said, you stood up and walked to the living room and decided to sleep on the couch.

* * *

" I'M NOT LEAVING WITHOUT THE LAMP!"

You were sitting beside Oscar and Maria on the stairs that led into the house. Ruby accidentally dropped the lamp into the well, claiming that she saw something down there. you wanted to listen but...you were just so tired.

Team RWBY went down the well to find the lamp, while Maria read the journal of the previous owner of this house, Bartelby.

You closed your eyes and decided to practice feeling Auras. You closed your eyes and thought about meditating with Yatsuhashi, then it was like everything around you was gone, you felt everyone's aura.

_Something was wrong..._

Suddenly you weren't tired anymore, Team RWBY's aura was different, it was as if it had no color, it was still there but it was also gone... 

Then you felt something else, Grimm, underneath you and near team RWBY.

_shit_

You opened your eyes and looked at Maria, who turned the page and gasped.

" Something's wrong," You said, " I can feel people's Aura and tell when there are Grimm nearby, I trust team RWBY to kill the Grimm, but something tells me those aren't normal Grimm" 

" Because they aren't!" Maria quickly stood up, " We need to go help them!" Maria yelled, you ran towards the well and helped her down, Maria followed you as you were running in the sewers, following Team RWBY's Aura that was quickly fading.

You finally got to them, their backs were bent and they looked like they were about to fall.

you saw the Grimm.

_The Apathy._

In the White-fang, you were taught about all types of Grimm, the apathy arent ferocious or strong, they just take your will to move on.

" RUN! NOW!" Maria yelled and you gestured for team RWBY to follow you and her.

You were running even though you could barely see, you thought you were getting out but each turn just led to a new pack of Apathy.

The Apathy gave a high-pitched scream, causing you to lose your balance and fall to the floor.

"I...so...cant--" you breathed out, you didn't even know what you were saying, you were too tired.

" An Exit! An exit!" Maria yelled, you looked up slowly and saw stairs. Weiss quickly ran up. the Apathy gave another high-pitched scream causing Weiss to slowly fall, you heard Ruby, " Blake...get...up" Ruby said with a struggled voice, " it's fine..." Blake said with no emotion as the Apathy started to reach down to her.

" **BLAAAAKE!!!!"** Ruby screamed and everything went white, half of the pack of Apathy disappeared, " WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" Maria questioned as she yelled, " I've got her!" Ruby helped Blake up.

Weiss got up and quickly ran up the stairs again, " They're locked!" She yelled, " Outta My Way!" Yang yelled as she pushed past Mara and started running up the stairs until the Apathy gave another high-pitched scream, " NO! NO!" You heard Yang yell. You were lying down beside Ruby when you heard Maria, " Ruby... what color are your eyes?" She asked

 _silver_...

" They're...silver..." Ruby said tiredly, you heard Maria gasp, " You have a family? Friends?" Maria asked, " What...?" Ruby questioned tiredly. the Apathy screamed again which caused the final blow for you, you closed your eyes, you couldn't feel anything, you could only hear but that was quickly going away.

" Don't think about them. Think about the people who love you. Focus on the thought of them, the way they make you feel. Focus!" you heard Maria yell, but it faded, "Life... is beautiful. It is precious. And it must..." you couldn't hear Maria talk anymore, you couldn't hear anything, it was as if you were dead now.

* * *

You heard the Apathy shriek which caused you to open your eyes quickly and a bright light was all around the area, and most of the pack disappeared into white and black dust.

You helped Ruby up and Yang quickly punched the door, you all ran up the stairs.

" WE'RE BACK IN THE HOUSE!?" Yang yelled, you looked around and saw Qrow.

" Uncle Qrow, get up!!" You and Ruby started shaking Qrow while Yang and Blake ran out of the house.

" Hey! Get off me! What are you doing here!?" Qrow said, " WERE LEAVING IDIOT!" Maria yelled at him, " Not yet.." You heard Weiss mumble. She grabbed the bottles and started throwing them towards the room the Apathy was in.

" Hey... Hey! What are you doing?!?!" Qrow yelled at Weiss.

Weiss set the alcohol on the floor to fire, but you looked, and It did _nothing_ to the Apathy.

Weiss and Ruby helped Qrow out of the house while you quickly walked in front of them.

" Stop it! Stop! What's wrong with you?! What's..." Qrow was yelling until he quickly stopped, he saw the Apathy on fire, not slowing down or anything, they just kept moving with the red flames coming out of their eyes.

You quickly got out and headed onto something that seemed like a...cart? you sat down and Yang quickly drove away, you looked back at the house which was now burning.

* * *

You were now going down the trail in the forest, trees covered by snow.

" The Apathy. They're not strong or ferocious. They drain your will to go on. Bartleby's estate was hemorrhaging money towards the end. He wanted to cut costs on Huntsman protection, but in order to do that, he needed everyone calm... always, " Maria said reading from the journal

" "Managed to get two away from their pack. Hike back was miserable but got the bastards in the cellar. The wife thinks I was out sealing the waterway entrance. I'll do it tomorrow and tell her the truth once these things take the edge off of everyone. I'm tired." Oscar read the next part of the journal then Maria took it back from him.

"The next page proves that he did, but not before the rest of the pack followed their missing pair all the way home. My guess is they made their way beneath the estate through the water tunnels that Bartleby sealed up the next morning. Bartleby's plan worked. No one was angry or sad or scared. No one was anything. And then... no one was left." Maria explained, reading from Bartelby's journal before she threw it out into the snow.

" That's why everyone's Aura was so different, those... _things_... were draining our Aura," You said sounding so ashamed of yourself, " I could have looked more into it, but I just didn't, I'm so stupid," You said as you put your hand on your forehead. " It's not your fault," Blake said, " Those things just made us so tired, as Maria said, it drained our will to go on" 

" I should have known. The signs were all there, but I'd never seen an entire settlement withered away like that. I suppose my mind just isn't what it used to be." Maria said.

" Miss Calavera?" Ruby called and you all looked at her, " How do you know so much about the Grimm? And in the tunnels, you knew exactly what to say to make me... to make my eyes do that. How?" Ruby asked, you heard Maria chuckle and quickly looked at her.

"Well, isn't it obvious, girl?" Maria said.

 _"I_ had Silver Eyes."


	11. The Grimm Reaper

_ " But I wasn't..." _

Maria was the Grimm Reaper, she explained how she lost her eyes, she was attacked at a young age and her eyes were slashed, but she was strong and was able to kill the person who attacked her, but her  _ silver _ eyes were still gone.

" I went into hiding soon after." She said.

" I can't believe it. You...  _ You're _ the Grimm Reaper, you were a legend! And then you disappeared..." Qrow said.

" How does a legend just disappear? " Oscar asked.

"You never used your name, never showed your face. Lots of us thought you were just layin' low. Eventually, we just came to accept that you were probably dead. But the stories about you, I based my weapon off of yours. I wanted to be as good as the Grimm Reaper." 

" Well, I'm nothing but a disappointment, so you're well on your way. " Maria said, she seemed ashamed of herself.

" How could you say that?" Blake asked.

" Child," Maria started, "a Huntress is supposed to protect others to the bitter end. But after I lost my eyes, I only ever looked after myself. Even after my surgery, I was too afraid to fight. Afraid someone would find me again, finish what the others started. You  _ shouldn't _ aspire to be like me, especially when some of you are clearly stronger already." She looked at Yang.

" It's... comforting, seeing that your generation seems up to the task of inheriting this world. I'm just sorry I didn't do more to leave it in better shape."

" Well, maybe you can do something now. Teach me to use my powers the way you did." Ruby suggested, Maria smiled at her, she was about to speak until her scroll started buzzing.

She gasped, " It's Jaune!" Yang quickly stopped driving, " What! How?" Weiss said sounding confused.

Ruby answered, " Uh, hello?" She asked, " Ruby! Oh, thank you! I've been checking my Scroll for your signal since we made it to the city!" You heard Jaune say from the scroll, " The city?" Ruby asked, " Wait..." She started moving her scroll and you followed her gaze, you looked up to a mountain, with clear pink skies, Yang started driving up and stopped at the top, the City of Argus, the skies were pink, sunrise...or sunset? you couldn't tell but you made it.

_ we made it. _

" Ladies and Gentleman" Yang said as she looked at everyone, " Welcome to the city of Argus"

* * *

You helped Yang put her bike away and looked around, the city was gigantic! and beautiful.

You were taking in the sight until you heard a familiar voice.

" CUTE!BOY!OZ!" Nora yelled as she ran towards you and Oscar.

" WAIT NO!" He yelled but that didn't do anything to stop Nora from pushing him to the ground and hugging him tightly.

" AW COME HERE!" She said. you laughed a bit, " We were all so worried!" Ren said, Nora quickly got up and hugged you too.

" Wait, Who's the old lady?" Nora asked.

" Good to see you too Nora," You said, "the old lady's name is Maria by the way." 

You broke the hug and Nora laughed then bent down a little " Nice to meet you, Maria," said Nora. she put her hand in front of her and Maria shook it, " Nice to meet you, but never call me old" You started laughing, you all waited for a bus that would take you well, anywhere, JNR just said to follow them.

* * *

" So where have you guys been staying?" Oscar asked after getting off of the bus.

" Yea I mean, did you somehow rent a house?" You asked.

" Heh-heh.."

" Jaune...?" 

" There you are!" The bus moved and showed a young woman with wavy, dirty blond hair and blue eyes.

" Is that...?" Blake asked, she seemed surprised and shocked. 

You looked at Ruby who was beaming in excitement.

" Hey...Saph"

" YOUR SISTER!" You Yelled, " SHE LOOKS SO MUCH LIKE YOU!"

* * *

" OH, I CAN'T BELIEVE IM MEETING YOUR SISTER!" Ruby squealed, " I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!"

" Will you guys knock it off!" Jaune said, 

Saphron Terra-Arc, Jaune's older sister.

" What!? I love telling stories about my  _ baby _ brother" Saphron said in a baby voice, Jaune growled, " I AM NOT A BABY!" He said and pointed to the baby on the floor " That is a baby!" 

You laughed a little then heard the door open, " Everyone this is my wife Terra Coota" Saphron Said, the room filled with a bunch of 'Hellos' 

" Why hello there! quite a party you weren't kidding, hun could I get some help?" Terra said holding a bag of groceries, Saphron got up from the couch and ran into the kitchen.

" And your sure it's okay for us to stay here?" 

" Of course, we're happy to house huntsman and Huntresses! " Saphron said in amusement, " You all risk so much to keep people like us safe. It's the least we can do. Especially for such an elite Huntsman like yourself. Although, I will say I was surprised to learn you had students helping you. Is that even... legal?" Terra said as she looked at Qrow with a confused face, you were sitting beside Oscar on the ground waiting for Qrow's response, Nora handed you a sandwich and you mouthed a 'Thank you' to her.

Ruby elbowed Qrow in the rib which caused him to come back to reality from whatever daydream he was having, "Uh, of course. Think of it as an extended training mission. Trust me, I was a professor. Even went to the same academy as them. Let me tell ya, these kids are way better than we were at their age, Well, not better than me specifically, but a lot of students--" " SHUT UP THERE'S FOOD!" Ruby interrupted Qrow and squealed in delight and took 2 sandwiches, you laughed a little at her sudden change from being bored to happy.

" Soo... What's your plan for tomorrow?" Saphron asked, " Well...we're trying to make our way to Atlas. We'll probably start with the military base" Ruby said.

Jaune, Ren, and Nora winced, " So, we kind of already tried that, and... it didn't go... super great."

" Come on, it couldn't have been that bad" Yang said, 

Ren sighed, " We asked if they could help us and they slammed the gate on us 2, it would have been 2 if Nora hadn't forced them to open up again and for her to yell at them"

You laughed a bit, " Your just full of surprises aren't you Nora?" You said in a happy voice, " No one slams a door on me" Nora said with a mouth full of food.

" Why don't we just worry about that tomorrow?" You suggested, " Are you sure we should wait?" Blake asked, " We do need to get the relic to Atlas," She finished.

Yes, I know but we just traveled, how about we all go explore the city? Maybe even get some dinner" You said, " I think that's a great idea!" Saphron chirped up, " Terra and I can show you around! and we have a lot of food places around in Argus" You heard Nora and Ruby squeal in delight, " Okay then let's go!" Ruby said, everyone got up but Qrow kept sitting down, " You go on without me, " He said then took a sip from his flask, everyone shrugged and headed towards the door, you looked at Ruby and Yang who were giving a 'worried' face to each other, " Uh, actually why don't you guys go without me, I hurt my leg earlier and I think it's best I stay here." Everyone nodded at you and you looked at the sisters who smiled at you and mouthed a ' Thank you ', They always took care of Qrow, they deserved a break.

They all left the house, you turned around and saw that Qrow was gone,  _ where did he go? _ you asked yourself, you walked into the kitchen and saw Qrow opening a cabinet with a bunch of bottles of alcohol inside, he grabbed 2 and drank from 1, " Qrow," You warned him, " I can drink as much as I want kid," He said, you scoffed, " Back at the farm you drank so much we all could have died from the Apathy, what is wrong with you?!" You said. 

" Listen, that was Ruby's fault, she dropped the lamp in the well, if she never thought about dropping it, that would have never happened." He said.

_ he's clearly drunk, he would never say that about Ruby. _

" OH, so you're blaming this on Ruby now!?" You raised your voice, " She  _ saw _ the Apathy and none of us listened, if it wasn't for her we could of ALL died." 

" Can you just fuck off!?" He yelled, " Qrow! You need to be there for your nieces and all your doing is sitting around getting drunk, blaming Ruby for something that wasn't her fault and acting like a dick, for once just BE THERE FOR THEM AND STOP BEING SUCH A BITCH!" You raised your voice at those last works, Qrow started walking towards you, a bottle in his 2 hands, you thought he was going for the stairs but he wasn't.

" Qrow..? Qrow? " You started backing away slowly.

" Qrow!"

"What..?" You saw him raise the bottle over your head "NO QROW STOP!"


	12. Oscar...where are you?

He-he just...

He just smashed the bottle on your head...

You had your eyes widened, you were shaking, liquid going down the sides of your face but you knew it wasn't the drink.

Glass in your hair and the smell of Alcohol all over you, you looked at Qrow to see he was walking upstairs, " _What is wrong with you!?"_ You growled, he turned around and faced you, " that should teach you to keep your mouth shut. " He said and continued to walk up the stairs.

You looked down and saw some broken glass on the floor, you tried to use your semblance but using it would cause the glass on your head to hurt you, so you grabbed a mop and cleaned the floor, once you finished you NEEDED to wash your hair and get the glass out of your head, you pulled out your scroll and texted the group chat.

* * *

_Barbie: @Vomit Boy, where's the shower?_

_Vomit Boy: Hold on._

_Vomit Boy" Terra said it's upstairs, take a left then it should be on your right, right beside yours and Qrow's room._

_Barbie: Thank you._

_Vomit Boy: also were taking a vote, Vacuo's Famous Pizza or Vale's best noodles._

_Barbie: God all we ate in Mistral was Rice and noodles, I could go for some pizza right now._

_Vomit Boy: Got it._

* * *

You headed upstairs and into the bathroom, you looked in the mirror and saw blood in the pink part of your hair, you put your fingers on a shard of glass and pulled it out of your head, you winced, it was painful, you looked at the shard and saw blood on it.

You continued to take out the glass shards and winced each time as it was _really_ painful.

You got the last shard out and put it in the garbage beside you, you quickly took off your clothes and got into the shower, washing out all the blood and wine from your hair.

As soon as you finished you heard the door open and the sound of a bunch of feet.

You got your clothes on and headed downstairs, hair still wet.

" Hey!" You greeted them, " Already back?" You asked.

" Yep, we got into a little...problem" Weiss said, and everyone started looking at Ruby, you sighed, " What did she do?"

" She stole cookies from a store and used her semblance to escape so no one would be able to chase her," Ren said.

" Seriously?" You asked, you had a wide smile and looked at Ruby, you weren't mad or anything, you were just surprised she would steal just for a cookie.

She sighed, " Yeah.." 

You started bursting out with laughter and so did everyone else, " Where's Qrow" Yang asked, " In our room resting, oh and also, I'm sleeping on the couch tonight." You said, everyone gave you a confused look but Terra and Saphron nodded and shrugged, " How come you can't sleep in your own room..?" Weiss asked, " 1, Qrow snores like crazy, 2, he's drunk so he'll end up doing something stupid," You said.

Everyone nodded, they all knew Qrow does stupid stuff when he's drunk.

" Come on!" Yang said, "Let's eat because I am STARVING!" 

Nora gave a squeal of excitement before she ran into the kitchen, FASTER then Ruby's semblance-

_let's just hope he doesn't do anything stupid with anyone else._

* * *

You were trying to sleep, you were on the couch with your face buried in the pillow, you didn't wash your hair enough as it STILL smelled like Wine, you sighed, you were about to get up until you heard someone coming down the stairs.

You recognized their Aura,

Qrow.

He started walking towards you, " Y/N," He said quietly, " Why are you sleeping on the couch?" He asked in a whisper, " And why do you smell like.." he sniffed a bit, " Wine?" 

_fuck_

you slowed your breathing and acted as if you were sleeping, he shook you lightly then came to accept that you were sleeping, you heard him walk back up the stairs and you sighed in relief.

_Military base tomorrow._

* * *

" COME ON!" Yang yelled,

You were outside of Argus's military base and they refused to listen to you all about getting to Atlas

" You didn't even hear us out!" Yang finished her sentence, she had her hands on the bars of the closed gates, they already closed them on you all once, you refuse to go without explaining why you need to get to Atlas!

" Yea! " You agreed, standing beside Yang, " Just hear us out! We need to get to Atlas, we NEED to speak to James Ironwood!" You Yelled.

" General Ironwood!" The soldiers said at the same time.

You scoffed.

" Just hear us out!" Yang said.

" Our orders are clear: The Mistral-Atlas border is closed!" One of the soldiers said.

" Please! " Said the first Soldier.

" Have a good day!" Finished the second soldier.

" But--" Yang started.

" **A GOOD DAY!!"**

" Hey, if you don't wanna believe that I'm friends with Ironwood-" Qrow said.

" _General_ Ironwood!" Both of the soldiers said at the same time, " YEA WE KNOW GENERAL IRONWOOD, WE ALREADY HEARD YOU THE FIRST TIME!" You yelled.

"Yeah, _General_ Ironwood, then fine. But look, we have Weiss Schnee with us and we're trying to get her home safely." Qrow stated you looked at Weiss who looked at Qrow, Blake, You, then the soldiers.

"Approach!" Both of the soldiers said, Weiss walked towards the gate and the soldiers bent down and looked into her eyes, " Very well!" 

" You may speak with our commanding officer!" Said one of the guards, you sighed in relief.

" We will fetch her at once!" Said the other guard as they started walking away, legs high in the air with each step they took, and kept making 'hut' noises.

"They were... kind of--" Blake started, " Super weird? Uh, yeah." Ruby finished, " More like Mega weird, " You said.

" Hmm..." You heard Maria said from behind you, " What's wrong? " Oscar asked.

" Well, I... _may_ know this commanding officer..." Maria said, with a small grin on her face.

" That's good, isn't it? If she's your friend, then maybe she'd be more willing to help us." Ruby suggested, " I wouldn't exactly call us... "friends". " Maria said.

_don't tell me-_

" Acquaintances?" Weiss guessed.

" Not quite" 

" Colleagues?" Blake guessed.

" Warmer"

" You used to be friends?" You guessed.

" Colder"

" Enemies?" Yang guessed.

" That's the one!" Maria chirped up.

" Wait, What?!" You and Oscar said.

" Oh, yes. I come through here about once every ten years to get my eyes checked up in Atlas. You bring outside cashews on _one_ flight, and suddenly you're placed on the additional screening list for life!" Maria said, you snorted.

"You've gotta be kidding me..." Qrow said, "Now, now, let's not give up hope yet....... Maybe she's dead!" Maria suggested, you started laughing at what she said and then stopped when the soldiers came back to the gate.

" Introducing!" Said one of the Guards, "Special operative!" The second one continued, " Caroline Cordovin!" They said at the same time, you looked at a lady who seemed younger than Maria but she was Uhm... " Small" You heard Yang whisper.

She walked towards Maria, " Witch." Cordo said, " She-devil." Maria responded.

Cordo started looking around and taking in the sight of a bunch of teenagers and an adult, " Hm. I've seen you've chosen larger contraband to smuggle this time." 

" Oh, Cordo. You know they say time changes people, but I see you've still got that stick right up your--" " H-hello! Miss, uh, Cordovin. My name is Ruby Rose, and I was wondering if you would hear us out about--" Ruby interrupted Maria then Cordo interrupted her, " I've already heard what your other little friends had to say, Miss Rose." She said then looked behind you and followed her gaze to JNR, " What are you doing back here?! I thought I told you to leave!" 

" And I told you we wouldn't rest until you let us through!" Nora yelled, being held back by Ren and Jaune, " Nice to see you again as well!" Ren said.

" You _civilians_ are clearly incapable of comprehending the importance of our mission here in Argus. So allow me to say this slowly, with smaller words: This base, that relay tower, the very safety of Argus are all gifts from the glorious Kingdom of Atlas! And it is my duty to uphold them, as only I have the wit and tenacity for such a task."

" Such Wit!" Said one of the Guards, " Such Tenacity" The other guard said.

" Or maybe Atlas just wanted to get you as far from the kingdom as possible." 

Cordo Growled, "You're just like the rest of these Argus ingrates! This city wouldn't even be here if it weren't for our Atlesian ancestors, and what do we get in return? The entire world is ready to put a knife to our throats!" 

" lease, we know your kingdom had nothing to do with the Fall of Beacon. We were there." Ruby said.

" We were all there, at the Fall of Beacon, please! your kingdom had nothing to do with it! General Ironwood would never betray Ozpin like that!" You said.

_actually, he would_

You heard Qrow scoff.

" No one's happy about the Atlas borders or embargo, but I know General Ironwood is just worried. It's why we need to talk to--" Weiss stated, " The General is no coward! Atlas is strong. If all the kingdoms plan to make us their enemy, then so be it! Atlas will prevail!" Cordo interjected. 

" Atlas will prevail!" Said both the guards at the same time.

" Okay you guys are seriously annoying," You said, " Do you guys seriously have to do that?" Yang agreed.

" If Miss Schnee has truly come to her senses and wishes to return to her family, then, of course, the Atlas military will escort her home. But the kingdom will not be responsible for her "friends" of... _questionable_ character." Said Cordo as she switched her gaze to Blake, you saw her ears droop and you and Weiss stood in front of her, " Excuse me" You said, " What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss said.

" It means we're done here." 

And the gates closed on you for the 3RD TIME.

" Oh yeah? Well, your face looks... like a big dumb boot!" 

" Way to show her, Nora..." 

" I don't..." Weiss said, " Weiss, I told you we wouldn't leave your side for a second. We'll find a way to Atlas. Together." Ruby said and Weiss gave her a wide smile, you looked at Qrow who was now walking away and Ruby quickly followed after.

"So... where are we going now?" Ruby said, " Yea, I mean there has to be another way to get to Atlas, What's the plan?" You said.

"Yeah, what's the plan?"Nora said.

Qrow stopped and turned around, " The plan? The plan just got shut on our face three times over. I'm going for a drink." Qrow said as he started walking again, Ruby followed, " uncle Qrow, I really think we should try and come up with something... ...together." Ruby said but Qrow ignored his own niece.

" What's his problem? It's not your fault we can't go on." Jaune stated.

" If he's gonna be a jerk then we'll just come up with something without him. I mean, we've got Ozpin with us! He usually knows what to do." Nora said, you widened your eyes at her words, you haven't told them about Ozpin yet, with the Apathy and everything, you all forgot, your face fell.

"What is it?" Ren asked.

* * *

" UGH!" Jaune grunted and punched the wall, causing the wall to have a bunch of cracks in it, " Jaune!" You and Ruby both yelled, He walked away from the wall, " Everything we did was for nothing!" Jaune stated, " That's not true!" Blake said from beside you, " Really? Cuz it sure does sound like it." Nora exclaimed. " I, um..." 

" If Salem can't be killed, then how are we supposed to win this?" Ren asked, you looked at Blake then looked at everyone else, no response.

" Wow... Great plan everyone!" Jaune threw his hands up, Oscar finally decided to speak up, "Look, none of this is great, we know. But we're not the bad guys here."

" Are we sure about that?" Jaune mumbled, you widened your eyes at his words.

" What..." Oscar said, " He's in _your_ head, isn't he? Did you already know about this?" Jaune said and started walking towards Oscar, " Jaune what are you doing!?" You asked but he didn't respond he was close to Oscar and passed Weiss, " He didn't know any of it!!" Weiss stated, he didn't listen, he grabbed Oscar by the shirt and pinned him to the wall, Oscar was shaking, he was scared, " JAUNE!" You yelled in concern, " How much longer can we even trust him?!" 

" Jaune!"

" How do we even know it's really him?! What if we have been talking to that _liar_ this whole time?!" 

" **JAUNE!"** You and Ruby both roared, he calmed down and let Oscar down slowly, Oscar put his hands up, Jaune stomped upstairs and went into his room and slammed the door behind him. 

" Is he... gonna be okay?" Yang asked.

" I don't know!" Nora said as she got up and also started stomping up the stairs, " think it would be best if we had some time to ourselves." Ren stated and he soon followed Nora up the stairs.

" Maybe we could all use some space." Blake suggested, " Yeah.." You breathed out.

* * *

" Y/N Can you try calling Qrow he won't answer his scroll. " Ruby said, " What makes you think he would ever answer a call from me? " You asked, Ruby gave you a 'please' face but you knew Qrow was not gonna answer, you sighed, " I'll go look for him," You said and got up from the sofa you were sitting on, you searched up all open bars in Argus, 23.

_this is gonna be a long search._

You walked out the door and walked around the streets of Argus, you found the first bar after about 5 minutes of walking, you walked in.

" Well hello, pretty lady!" The bartender said. you walked up to the Bar, " How can I help you?" He asked, " I'm looking for someone, red eyes, really low voice and looks like he could kill someone" You stated, the bartender frowned," Sorry haven't seen anyone like that, anything I can do to help?" He said, " Not that I can think of," You said as you started walking away, " Thanks anyway. " 

You pulled out your scroll and crossed out the first bar.

~~_Bar 1_ ~~

You sighed, " This is gonna be a long evening " You mumbled.

* * *

~~_Bar 12_ ~~

You walked up to the 13th bar and gave a sigh of relief to see Qrow sitting with a bunch of other men laughing their heads off, you smiled, " Qrow?" You called, " OhHH HeYyy Y/N!" Qrow said, he stood up and walked towards you, hugging and shaking you, " Uh.." a bunch of the other men started laughing " Hey Qrow, this your girlfriend?" One asked, you started coughing like CRAZY and laughing, " No, we just work together, were friends. " You said.

Your scroll beeped, you pulled it out and saw 26 messages from the Group chat.

* * *

_Crater Face: Have you found Qrow yet Y/N?_

_Firecracker: We just checked your location, your halfway across the city!_

_Crater face: Where is he??_

_Vomit Boy: I'm sure he's fine, he knows how to take care of himself, he took care of us even though we never asked for help._

_ThunderBolt: Yang, Blake, what are you guys getting for food?_

_Bookworm: Rice with chicken, and some fish for me ;)_

_Firecracker: She's really obsessed with fish._

_Bookworm: Okay were on our way back to the house._

_Crater Face: @Barbie have you found him yet?_

_Ninja: I just checked her location, she's even farther out in the city._

_Firecracker; Brothers! where in the world did he go?!_

_Crater Face: He said he was going to a bar, I'll go ask Saphron how many bars there are in the city._

_Thunderbolt: Okay._

_Crater Face: MORE THAN 30!_

_Firecracker: WHAT!? HE COULD HAVE GONE ANYWHERE!_

_Crater Face: Only 23 bars are open right now, I don't think it was a good idea to let Y/N go out on her own, yesterday when we came back she seemed pretty freaked out._

_Thunderbolt Where's Oscar?_

_Bookworm: Were here, food is on the table, Oscar still seems pretty freaked out so we're gonna go put the food in his room._

_Thunderbolt: Okay, make sure he's okay._

_Crater Face: Maria's teaching me about Silver eyes, ping me if Y/N replies_

_Firecracker: Guys!_

_Vomit Boy: What?_

_Firecracker: Meet us downstairs._

_Ninja: On our way._

_Firecracker: Hurry!_

_Bookworm: @Barbie Oscar's missing, can you see if your able to find him while you're looking for Qrow?!_

* * *

" Shit " You breathed out, " Come on Qrow we gotta go." 

You started pulling Qrow out of the bar until someone grabbed your wrist, " Not so fast little lady, this man right here promised to pay for our drinks." Said the man.

" He was Drunk!" You yelled, " He seemed pretty sober to me." You gave a frustrated noise and walked up to the bartender, you held up your card with all the White-Fang money in it, " Where'd you get money like that Missy?" Asked the man, " None of your business " You growled, you grabbed Qrow by the wrist and left the bar.

" We need to look for Oscar." You said, you waited for Qrow to respond but no sound, you looked behind you and realized he was half passed out, laying on your back but also somehow walking, " UGH!' You yelled out loud and caused the attention of some people.

" _son of a bitch_ " you mumbled.

No matter how much you walked, there was no sign of Oscar, you got back to the house about 30 minutes later, you let Qrow lay on the stairs, who was now passed out, you sat beside him.

_where are you oscar..?_

About 5 minutes later everyone came back to the house, " I've never seen him this bad" Yang said, Ruby sighed, " Come on, let's get him up." 

" Ugh...why am I on the stairs?" Qrow said, " Probably because no one's home Uncle Qrow, we were out looking for Oscar!" You could have gone into the house but you forgot to take the key with you when you went to find Qrow.

" Oscar...?" Qrow asked.

Soon JNR came with Terra and Saphron, " I'm sure this looks greeaaat to the neighbours" Terra said and Saphron elbowed her in the rib.

" No luck?" Ren asked, " Nope," You said, " No, you?" Blake asked, Jaune sighed, " Don't worry we're not going to Atlas without him," 

" I don't even see the point of going anymore" You mumbled, everyone, looked at you in shock except Ruby, who was only surprised by Jaune's words, " We..?" Ruby asked, Jaune nodded and smiled then looked at his sister, " Sorry we won't be staying.." Jaune said, Saphron rolled her eyes and smiled, " No your not"

" Why don't we get out of the cold? " Terra suggested, you looked towards the door and widened your eyes when it opened.

" Oh I was wondering when you guys would get back," Oscar said.

" OSCAR!!!" Everyone yelled happily, Oscar widened his eyes in surprise then Nora gave a squeal and so did you, You and she jumped up, same with everyone else and tackled Oscar.

" HUH?!" Oscar yelled.

" You had us worried sick!" Weiss said in concern.

" Are you okay?" Ruby asked.

" What are you wearing?" Nora said grinning.

You push past them, " WHERE IN THE WORLD HAVE YOU BEEN!? I HAVE BEEN OUT LOOKING ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY FOR YOU AND QROW AND MY FEET HURT LIKE CRAZY!!" 

Oscar gave an awkward look and embarrassed chuckle.

" Is something cooking..?" Terra asked, " Oh, uh, yeah. I thought you guys would appreciate a hot meal after... spending all day looking for me, apparently." Oscar stated.

" It's my fault we were all out there in the first place." Jaune said and walked in front of you "Oscar, I am _so_ sorry for earlier. I was way, way out of line, and what I said--"

" No, it's okay. These past few days, I've been scared of the same things you were. I don't know how much longer I'm going to be... me. But I did some thinking, and I do know that I want to do everything I can to help with whatever time I have left." 

" Good. This team isn't the same without you, Oscar."

You widened your eyes when you heard the fire alarm go off, Oscar gasped, " THE CASSEROLE!" 

Saphron and Terra chuckled, were on it chef, they walked into the Kitchen leaving Maria holding Baby Adrien.

Ruby walked up, " Uh, combat gear looks good." She said, Oscar smiled, you and Nora gave a knowing look.

_OOO she likes him..._

You looked at Qrow who started walking up the stairs, Ruby walked to the side. 

" Where are you going now?" Ruby asked.

" I don't wanna get in the of your celebration." Qrow said, you scoffed, " I have been out looking for you for almost an hour Qrow, I used up 400 Lien since you promised those dumbasses at the bar you'd pay for their drinks," You said, Qrow's face fell, "As I said, I don't wanna get in the middle of your celebration," He said again.

" you've been gone all day! Just sit with us." Ruby said, " Look, Ruby, I'm glad you kids worked out, uh, whatever all that was. But the fact is, we're not a single step closer to Atlas." 

" Actually, I think I have an idea. But... it's sort of a "no-going-back" kind of idea." Jaune decided to speak up, " Well, let's hear it."

" With Cordo on watch, only Atlas airships have the clearance to leave for Solitas. So... we... _steal_ an Atlas airship." 

You widened your eyes in surprise then you and Nora smiled, " I just wanna say I already love this Idea." You said. 

" That's not just breaking the law. That's... that's _definitely_ worse." 

" How would we even get onto the airfield?" 

" _That_ part I haven't quite figured out yet. But I--"

" Okay Stop!" Qrow interrupted, " Just... stop! Look, if this thing goes south, it's not something we can just fight our way out of. This is the Atlas Military we're talking about. For your sake, just drop this." Your face fell at his words.

_Maybe we should..._

" I want to hear him out." Ruby said, " Ruby."

" **_I want to hear him out!_** I know you're trying to protect us, that you're afraid we can't do it, but right now, I don't really care what you think!" Ruby yelled, and Qrow widened his eyes.

You smiled at her sudden change, she's definitely grown since Beacon. 

" Just because _you_ don't have an idea, doesn't mean _we're_ out of options! Oz hasn't been here to tell us what to do, but we still managed to get this far anyway. We've been in bad situations before, and we don't need an adult to come to save us or tell us what to do. We just did it _our_ way! And I say we do it our way. And if you think you can keep up with us "kids"... we'd be happy to have you." 

You smiled and looked up at him, you heard Maria chuckle, " Looks like you didn't give her enough credit either"

* * *

" HOW THE FUCK DO YOU EXPECT US TO FIGHT THAT?!" You yelled.

You were all on a cliff, There was a plan to steal an Atlas Airship but that quickly backfired when Blake didn't respond on the earpiece and City comms were still up, Cordovan was now in a GIGANTIC MECH ROBOT THING AND SHE WAS CONTROLLING IT, ABOUT TO ATTACK EVERYONE.

" You're joking, right? You want to fight this thing?!" Weiss said, " SEE EVEN WEISS AGREES!" 

" We've fought giant monsters before. This is just a tiny old lady... with one very big robot." Ruby stated.

" Yea we have, BUT THEY WERE OUR SIZE NOT 14 FEET TALLER THEN ALL OF US!" You yelled, " You little spider-roaches thought you could creep your way to Atlas?! Well, let's see how your resolve holds out against the might of the Atlesian Military!" 

It shot a missile at the Airship that Maria and Weiss were in, it was about to hit them until Ruby shot it.

She growled, " **_SO BE IT!!"_**

 ****She aimed the canon towards all of you, " UH GUYS! I DON'T THINK HUSH IS BIG ENOUGH TO DODGE THAT"

You heard Weiss on the earpiece, " DIVE!" She yelled and quickly jumped out of the Airship and used a Glyph to raise ice up from the cold ground.

" That was close." Oscar said, "You're telling me" You responded.

" We need to figure out how to stop Cordovin and protect the airship until we do," Ruby stated.

" Then let's give her more targets to focus on." Jaune suggested, " You mean us, don't you?" Nora deadpanned.

" Look at that thing. It's not designed for small enemies. It's probably meant for giant Grimm that come in from deeper waters. We can turn our size into an advantage. We just have to be smart." 

Ruby reached for her earpiece, " Maria, can you keep the ship out of harm's way?" She asked.

" They can take my driver's license, but I won't let them take this ship!" She yelled, " Badass move." You said.

" Very reassuring..." Ren said with a concerned voice.

" 'll be more useful if I go with her. From up high, I can try to spot a weakness." Oscar said, " Same here, Hush doesn't exactly have anything to fight _that,_ I could try summoning but it takes up a lot of my Aura, " You said, " You know it's really weird how we can both summon but my summons are Ice and your's is glass." Weiss said, " Yea" You agreed.

" Well, They're not the only ones who can grab a bird's eye view." Qrow said, " YES QROW WE UNDERSTAND YOU CAN TURN INTO A BIRD," You said.

" You said you needed me on the ground?" Weiss asked looking at Ruby.

" Not exactly..." 

" ALRIGHT LETS DO THIS!" You yelled, "Let's go!" Ruby said, you quickly got into the Airship with Oscar which soon flew away up into the air.

* * *

You watched as Ren and Qrow shot the battery for the shields on the Mech, you reached for your earpiece, " Weiss, Qrow, and Ren need something to move them onto the ground. 

" On it!" You watched as Weiss rode her Lancer towards Qrow and Ren and they jumped on, you kept trying to contact Blake and Yang but no response.

" Any luck?" Oscar asked, " No, but they can take care of themselves, they've always been a good pair together." You reassured him.

He gave a sigh of relief but was still worried. 

You looked out and saw Jaune and Nora, Their Aura's were almost broken, you looked at Ruby and Weiss and saw the Canon in front of them, " MOVE!!" You yelled into the Earpiece. 

" Huh?" Weiss said then looked to the left, she tried to get her Lancer away but was to late as the canon hit the Lancer.   
  


" AHHHHHHH!" Everyone screamed as they flew towards the ground, Ruby was about to make it,

But she didn't reach the cliff.


	13. The Leviathan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF LINES THESE PAST CHAPTERS BUT ONCE U GET TO ATLAS YOU'LL HAVE A LOT.

**RUBY!!"** You screamed loud enough that everyone can hear you, she was about to fall into the water until she planted Crescent Rose into the slide of the cliff, leaving her dangling over the water.

" This is what happens when you think you know better than those rightfully in charge!" Cordo said and she aimed the canon at Ruby.

You and Oscar ran towards Maria, " Is there anything we can do!?" You asked, " We gotta do something!" Oscar agreed, Maria hesitated until she flicked some switches on and a missile went towards the Mech but Cordo caught it using the Mech's hand and turned around to the Airship.

" Calavera..."

" Uh, I think we just screwed up." You warned.

Cordo quickly threw the Missile back at the Airship, " SHIT! MOVE!" You yelled.

You were able to dodge the missile but there was still some black fog, " Are you okay!?" You asked Oscar and Maria, " We’re fine, we just need to help them!" Oscar said.

" You just couldn't keep this rivalry between us, could you, Calavera?! You had to rope in _children_ to fail with you!!" Cordo yelled.

" Ruby, can you hear me? Are you guys okay?!" Oscar asked through the earpiece, " Are _we_ okay?" Ruby asked referring to blowing our cover.

" That doesn't really matter anymore!" You said, " Oscar might have an idea" 

" Well, we're all ears," Nora said, you sighed in relief hearing her voice through the earpiece.

"The cylinder on Cordo's cannon rotates and locks in a giant Dust cartridge every time she changes attack styles," Oscar explained.

" We noticed" Weiss stated, " right, but her missile launcher doesn't lock-in, it pops out! Without her shields, one well-placed shot could detonate the missiles while they're still in the launcher!" Oscar said.

You looked at Oscar and high-fived him.

" We could destroy the entire cannon... Oscar, that's brilliant!" Jaune said proudly.

" Can you...make that kind of shot?" Nora asked.

" We'll only get one chance before she catches on. I'd have to be practically staring down the barrel of her cannon." Ruby said, Maria looked at you and grinned, " Maria I know that look.." You said, she didn't reply but instead chuckled and reached for her earpiece. 

" Well, I've got a way to guarantee that," Maria said as she flew the Airship towards everyone.

Ruby jumped in and you smiled at her, " Ruby what are you doing!?" Qrow asked but she couldn't reply as Maria flew the ship away." 

" Soo what's the plan..?" You asked

We're gonna fly towards the Mech and ruby will shoot the missile launcher." Maria explained, You looked at Oscar as his eyes widened when you got closer and closer to the Mech, " ARE YOU SURE THERE ISN'T ANY OTHER WAY?!" Oscar yelled, " Nope!" Maria said excitedly, she reached for the walkie-talkie, " Hey, Cordo! I've got one missile left and I know exactly where I'm gonna stick it!!" Maria said grinning.

" One missile you say?" You heard Cordo say through the walkie-talkie "That's a shame, Maria because I have plenty!" Cordo yelled.

SHE WAS AIMING THE FUCKING MISSILE LAUNCHER AT THE SHIP

" I LOVE THIS PLAN BUT THIS IS KINDA SCARY!" You yelled.

" **_ARE YOU THREE CRAZY?!!"_ **Oscar was sitting in the passenger seat screaming like crazy.

" Sometimes the best approach is simply the most direct!!" 

You looked at Ruby who placed herself at the side of the Airship, she had her Scythe out aiming it towards the Missile launcher, and she shot.

But Cordo closed the Missile launcher.

" You thought you could fool me?!!" Cordo said as she aimed the cannon towards the ship, dust forming in it.

 **_" PULL UP!!"_ **You and Oscar screamed, Maria quickly pulled up but the dust hit the ship, affecting Maria's eyes.

" I can't see! My eyes!" She yelled.

" No, no, no!!" You heard Oscar freak out from the front.

" Take control!!" She yelled.

" We're gonna crash! We're gonna **_CRASH_ **!!" You were about to run-up to the front to help Oscar take control but with how much the ship was moving, Ruby bumped into you causing you to fall out of the Airship.

You quickly grabbed the edge of the cliff with one hand, you threw up Hush on the cliff with your free hand, you reached your hand for the edge to push yourself up but no use as what you put your hand on was a rock, you were slowly slipping.

_fuck_

You landed far from the others, your earpiece fell into the water when you fell so screaming was your only hope.

" JAUNE!!" No response.

" NORA!!' There was no response but you heard footsteps.

You recognized their Aura, Ren.

" Over here!" He yelled, you heard some other footsteps and recognized their aura it was Jaune, Nora, and Weiss

Ren grabbed your hand while Jaune grabbed the other and pulled you up.

" Thanks, guys." 

You looked up and saw black smoke coming up from the forest, " Guess that's where they crashed?" You asked, everyone, nodded.

You all looked at Ruby who was now in front of the mech.

" Surrender for your crimes, and accept your punishment," Cordo said as she pointed the mech's finger at Ruby.

" **_No!"_ **Ruby roared and stuck her Scythe into the ground still holding it.

You smiled, Ruby was a strong and confident girl, she's grown up so much and out of everything she lost, she chose to keep moving forward...Pyrrha and Penny would be proud and from what you've heard, so would her mom.

" We're _going_ to Atlas. Bigger people than you have tried to stop us and failed, but we're supposed to be on the same side! We're supposed to use our power to protect people, but you just use yours to look down on everyone! We didn't _want_ to steal from you. We did it because you gave us **_no other choice!_ ** Now I'm giving you one last chance to stand down and hear us out."

_if that doesn't get us to Atlas then I don't know what will._

"I've heard enough..." You widened your eyes at Cordo's words and she aimed the Mech's cannon at Ruby.

" RUBY!" You yelled and started running with the others towards her...

Until she went inside the Cannon.

" SHE'S NUTS!" You and Nora both yelled.

" The missile launcher springs out... but the raw dust gets locked in!" Jaune explained.

" SO UR SAYING SHE'S GONNA SHOOT THE CANNON?" You asked.

" YES!" Jaune yelled.

She shot it, she quickly got out of the cannon using her semblance but some of the dust hit her leaving her unconscious, the Mech's arm now had stone and ice all over it.

" What?! No! **NO!!"** Cordo yelled.

Weiss tried using her Glyphs to catch Ruby but didn't have enough Aura to use her semblance, instead, Qrow caught Ruby unconscious, Jaune amplified Weiss's Aura while you grabbed Ruby's Scythe.

" Ruby? Ruby!" Qrow said lightly shaking her in his arms.

She opened her eyes slowly and breathed out a laugh, " Told ya."

You sighed in relief, " Good job Ruby" You said and flashed her a smile and thumbs-up.

You looked at the forest which now had the Airship hovering in it, " Oh, don't tell me I missed it!" Maria pouted, you laughed a little, " You missed the whole thing" You reminded.

" No! No, no, no, NO!!! You! You're never getting to Atlas! Do you hear me?! NEVER!!! All forces converge on my position and eliminate these pests at once!" You heard Cordo yell over the Walkie-Talkie

" Ah shit," You said.

" Crap!" Oscar yelled.

" Everyone on board! We're making a run for it!" Maria said, " What about Yang and Blake?" Jaune asked, " We can look for them, on higher ground we can reach the City's communication tower and try finding them." You said.

You were about to walk into the Airship when you heard a roar and quickly turned around with wide eyes.

" Guys..."

You heard the Walkie-talkie, " Ma'am, we've been trying to reach you! Argus is in danger!" One of the soldiers said, you looked at everyone, " I think we just screwed up because that is NOT a small Grimm." You said.

You couldn't see the Grimm as it was somewhere else but the Soldier said it soon after, " It's a Leviathan! It began its approach during your battle! We need you!" 

You looked at everyone, " **A** **_LEVIATHAN?!?"_ ** You all screamed out, you heard footsteps, " YANG! BLAKE!" You yelled out.

" All units, be advised: Leviathan-class Grimm has submerged but is still on approach. Preparing hard-light shields, over!" You heard from the Airship, we screwed up so bad,

" What happened..?" Blake asked referring to the Giant Mech in the water, the Leviathan roared again, " Was that a...Giant Grimm?" Yang asked, you nodded at her, " Yes... and we just ruined the only thing capable of stopping it..." Weiss explained, you quickly got into the Airship with everyone else.

"This is your fault!! **_YOUR FAULT!!!_ ** " Cordo yelled.

* * *

"I'm so sorry..." Blake said.

_you should be_

Adam was dead.

Adam was your first friend growing up in the White-fang.

he was your ex.

he was only 2 years older than you. 

You and Adam remained friends after you Broke-up with him, sure you didn't always see eye-to-eye and he did cause the Fall of Beacon...and the attack on Haven.

But he was still your friend.

sort of

ok not entirely

but he knew that you were the leader of the White-fang yet he didn't kill you, he knew you were in Argus, yet he still didn't kill you.

No matter how much he didn't like you, he wouldn't kill his first friend growing up.

and now your first friend is dead.

" Don't be. This isn't on you." Yang informed Blake, " But--" "You're safe, that's all that matters." Ruby interrupted and hugged her.

You were sitting across from Yang and Blake, you didn't feel like looking them in the eyes.

Maria sighed, " I suppose I have to be the bad guy and say it, getting the lamp to Atlas is still our top priority, and right now we have the perfect opportunity to head straight for it. We may not get another chance like this."

" What!?" You jumped up in disbelief.

" No way!" Yang said.

" We can't leave, not like this" Weiss stated as she stood up.

" It's like you said, a Huntress is supposed to protect others to the bitter end." Blake informed, " She's got you there" You agreed.

Ruby looked at Maria and shrugged, " We need to head for the Leviathan. Jaune, can you and Ren be ready to mask our ship?"

Jaune and Ren looked at each other and smiled, " I think we can manage," Ren stated, " Any ideas?" Jaune asked.

" I've got one," Ruby informed.

" Eyes up everybody. It's back." Qrow said, you looked out the window and saw the Leviathan coming up from the water, " Brothers it's bigger up close" You said, everyone except Ruby and Ren looked at you.

You heard Maria laugh and you realized.

"Yea...I just realized what I said...and how it sounded like." 

" Argus Base, this is Manta 3-4! Leviathan has hit the shallows and resurfaced! We need those shields up now, over!" You heard from the Walkie-Talkie.

" Target stopped! Engaging, over! "

You looked at the Leviathan who opened its mouth and fired electric fire out of it moving across the shields.

It broke the shield...

" It tore straight through..." You said. you were shocked, how the hell are we gonna stop it?

" It tore straight through...!" Oscar said, " We know Oscar I JUST SAID IT!" You yelled.

" All squadrons, fall back to evacuation procedures. Disengage Leviathan! I repeat, disengage! Over!" Air control said.

" NO, WAIT!' Ruby yelled and ran towards the front, " RUBY!" You and Qrow yelled, she grabbed the Walkie-talkie, " We can stop it!" Ruby yelled.

" Who is this? Identify yourself!"

"I'm a Huntress. My team and I are heading to the Leviathan and can weaken it for you to attack!"

You looked at Ruby _shocked_.

" WE _CAN_ WHAT?!" You asked yelling.

" We can..?" Jaune asked.

She straightened her back and looked Jaune in the eyes serious, " _I_ can" 

" Ruby, when I said "trial by fire"--" " I did it at Beacon and at the farm. "

" You really think you can do it now?" Weiss asked.

" I don't have a choice."

" Manta 5-1, your ship is currently flagged as hostile. You will receive _no_ support, over." Said a Soldier from the Walkie-Talkie.

"Fine, we'll do it alone if we have to. We can hit it while it's stopped at the next barrier. Ren, you're up!" Ruby yelled.

You started heading towards the Leviathan, Maria dodging all the ships.

you put a hand on Ruby's shoulder, " You can do it" You said, she smiled in return.

"I hope so." 

You looked at the Leviathan who was now opening his mouth, " CRAP!" You yelled, " We're too late! " Qrow warned, " PULL UP!" 

Maria quickly pulled up and Jaune and Ren fell to the floor tired, " That's all I've got"

" It's on the move again! We need to stop it!" Blake Warned.

" What do we do?" Yank asked, you looked at Ruby who was now looking at Weiss and she had a mischievous grin, " Ruby, what are you planning?" You asked

"Weiss, I need you to summon a lancer, ill go on it, then I need you to guide it to the Leviathan." Ruby said, " RUBY ARE U CRAZY!?" Qrow yelled, " And just to clarify, this is the easy option?" You asked.

" It's the only option we have."

* * *

" Eyes on us, ugly!" Nora yelled, she had her weapon into Grenade Launcher mode, the grenades were little hearts, she was using them to hit the Leviathan, and Yang was also shooting.

" Is it working?" Blake asked, You were standing behind Oscar who was standing behind the passenger seat and looking out the window, "Unfortunately, yes! Hang on!" Maria Warned and moved the Airship around the Leviathan.

You looked at Ruby who was now in front of the Leviathan, but it turned away from the Airship, Yang reached for her earpiece, " Ruby? Ruby, hurry, something--" She stopped when she saw Ruby throw the Earpiece into the water, " SHE DID NOT JUST--" " SHE JUST DID" Oscar interrupted you.

The Leviathan was now turning to Ruby, Ruby still had her eyes closed, " Shit" You breathed, you quickly grabbed Blake's weapon and turned it into its gun form and put in a dust bullet, you kept shooting it as fast as you could but now it was facing Ruby.

" Why'd it turn away?!" Yang asked, " WEISS CAN YOU DO ANYTHING!?' You asked yelling, " I CAN'T SHE'S CONTROLLING IT! IF I REMOVE THE LANCER SHE'LL JUST FALL INTO THE WATER!" Weiss yelled back.

You grabbed Hush, you could summon a Nevermore and save her if you could distract the Leviathan for like an hour...

You tried summoning once with Sienna but you failed and it took up a lot of Aura.

You looked outside the Airship but it was too late.

The Leviathan opened its mouth.

And was about to eat Ruby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I'm not good at describing stuff-


	14. Heading To Atlas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOHOOOOOOOOOO ATLAS HERE WE COME

You thought Ruby was a goner until a bright light flashed all around Argus and Leviathon turned into stone.

You all sighed in relief to see that Ruby did it, she had her eyes wide opened when the Leviathon was about to eat her but she somehow did it.

You gave Blake her weapon back, " Heh...sorry" You apologized, " It's fine, you were just trying to help " Blake said and you smiled.

You were in between the front seats but what came next wasn't expected, the Leviathan was breaking the stone, 

" Is that normal?" You asked Maria, " I-I don't know, it shouldn't be able to do that" Maria informed.

" I'll take it from here!!" You heard you looked out the window.

" I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE SEEING THIS AM I?" You asked, " NOPE" Oscar informed.

Cordo was controlling the mech, the arm Ruby destroyed was gone.

" After all, I was sworn to protect the people!!" 

The Other arm had a GIGANTIC DRILL come out of it and she aimed it at the Leviathan and drilled into it, The Leviathan quickly during into black fog and you all sighed in relief.

" Guess this means we can still go to Atlas?" You asked, " Well Ruby and Cordo are talking, so I think that's a yes. " Maria informed.

* * *

" I can't believe we decided to go to Atlas which is a 12-hour flight from Argus and we brought NO snacks" You whined.

You were sitting in between Ren and Jaune on the Airship while Ruby was at the front talking with Qrow and Maria, you were resting your head on Jaune's shoulder.

" Well we would have brought cookies if Nora and Ruby didn't eat them all " Oscar informed from beside Ren, you looked at Nora who just stuck her tongue out at you and laughed.

Weiss was sitting beside Yang and Blake when she decided to change the topic to the one thing you didn't wanna hear ever again. " I'm sorry you went through that nightmare. But, I'm glad Yang was there for you in time." 

_Nightmare?_

" We were there for each other," Yang said and she held Blake's hand.

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Nora said Thrilled.

You all looked at Ruby who just walked into the area and you all smirked.

" Hey, stop it!" 

" You petrified a Leviathan... _after_ diving down the barrel of a cannon!" Ren said proudly.

" Don't act like you all haven't done crazy stuff before! I mean, Oscar made a successful crash landing! He's a fourteen-year-old farm hand!" Ruby yelled surprised, moving her arms around like crazy.

" That...was pretty impressive," Jaune said pleasantly but he was also pretty impressed and surprised.

" We'd have been stranded without you!" Blake informed.

" I.." Oscar started, he obviously didn't like being the center of attention, he was always nervous, " Thanks...but...I've been meaning to tell you guys, I didn't land the ship on my own.." 

" What do you mean by that?" You asked confused by his words.

" Well...after you fell out, Ozpin...came back and told me what to do..which meant the successful crash landing"

" Ozpin took control!?" Nora asked as she shifted a bit and her back was arched forward, she sounded shocked but mad at the same time.

" No, he guided me, then he was gone again" Oscar informed.

" Does that mean he's been watching us this whole time?" Yang asked and she also shifted and was sitting up straight.

" I don't know, but... it at least means he was looking out for us." 

You were about to speak until Qrow finally decided to speak up from the front, " Hey, if you've never seen Atlas in person before, you don't wanna miss this."

You've been to Atlas a lot of times, you and team CFVY even planned to go to Atlas, well mostly Velvet, she didn't like Atlas but her father was a scientist here.

During the White-fang when you went on missions you often visited Atlas with Adam or Xanthe, mostly Xanthe at times. Xanthe was basically a scientist, she made weapons and designed them, she even helped Marrows with his.

You can never get used to the beautiful view of Atlas from the sky, the lights of Mantle and the dimmed blue lights of Atlas, Atlas hovers over Mantle from gravity dust, well that's what you've heard.

You walked up the front of the ship while JNOR stayed at the back and looked out the door window, you stood beside Blake at one of the Windows, it was covered by clouds but in a few seconds, you knew Atlas would be revealed.

" Is it weird I'm sorta nervous?" Asked Ruby, " No, I'll believe we've made it to Atlas when I see it." Yang said soon joining beside her sister looking out the front window.

The Ex-heiress had finally decided to speak up, " Well... believe it." 

It must be weird for Weiss to be back in a place she escaped from for freedom.

You smiled as the clouds went away and soon an island hovering over a city was shown, dimmed blue lights for Atlas and dimmed orange for Mantle.

You heard Nora breathe out a 'Wow' and you smiled even wider, you did it, you all made it to Atlas.

It was a sight for sore eyes.

" You know, you make the trip up to Atlas over and over, but you _never_ get used to that view." Maria said as she flew the ship closer to Atlas, you heard her prosthetic eyes make a sound, " Oh _come on!"_ You laughed a little.

" I can agree on that," You agreed

" You've been to Atlas before?" Asked the Cat Faunus, " Yes, many times actually, even Vacuo too." 

Blake was about to say something, by the looks of her face it seemed like a question but Ruby spoke up, " Weiss, what is it?" You looked at Weiss who was looking up, you followed her gaze and so did everything else.

The Atlas Air fleet.

" The Atlas air fleet... I knew all of our ships were called back, but..." She started, " They're set up like they're expecting an attack..." Qrow finished.

You heard feedback from the Walkie-Talkie and heard a women's voice, " Manta 5-1, welcome home" must have been Atlas Air Traffic.

" Manta 5-1. Welcome home. Please continue your approach to Atlas docking bay Omega-12. A security team will meet you there. Over." 

" Something isn't right," You said sounding confused, the Atlas Air Fleet is never placed like that, " You stopped and thought of James and the Fall of Beacon, " What is James up too?" You asked.

" I don't understand. What's happening here?" Ruby was even confused.

You looked at Qrow, you both technically knew James, when you met James during your first year you didn't _exactly_ bring a nice emotion to him and instead acted cold and rude but as he visited more he tended to grow on you, sometimes he would even tell you about Atlas if you ever bumped into him in the Gardens at Beacon.

_I hope Atlas has a garden, every school does, even if it's in the MIDDLE OF SOLITAS._

" I don't know." You didn't know if Qrow was responding to yours or Ruby's questions but you assumed Ruby's since his response was more recent to hers.

Jaune walked forward to the front a bit, " But we are _here_. We got the lamp to Atlas, so I guess we land and get some answers." he suggested.

Everyone looked at you and Weiss for answers, " I'm not so sure. I've never seen our forces deployed so aggressively before." The Ex-heiress had said.

" She's right, as many times as I've visited Atlas I've never seen the Atlas Air Fleet like that before." You agreed.

" If we land in a stolen ship, there's no way the security team will let us anywhere _near_ Ironwood. They might even take me back to my father."

You put a hand on her shoulder and shook your head, " No way that's happening." You informed and she gave a warm smile in return.

" So…" Blake started.

" Winter!" 

You were surprised as she chirped up saying her sister's name.

" Winter probably felt chills when Qrow said were going to Atlas" You laughed a little saying those words and Qrow just laughed along with it but Weiss gave you both a type of _look_ and you both immediately stopped.

" Put some distance between us and the fleet." Weiss said to Maria, " You don't have to tell me twice." She responded as she flew the Airship- Or Manta? towards Mantle.

" Hey quick question, " You started as you stood in between Qrow and Maria's seat, " Is this a Manta or an Airship?" 

" Manta," They both said, " People usually call them Airships since Atlas has like 10 different names for the same object," Qrow said.

You nodded and smiled at them then walked back to Blake, you looked outside the window and saw a Hologram of James on it.

" _...cannot express our appreciation enough. Many describe these as uncertain times, and while that may be the case for the rest of the world, I can tell you what is certain. The Kingdom of Atlas will remain strong, and it will remain safe. That is my promise."_

" General Ironwood. He looks…" " Tired" Ruby finished her sister's sentence.

You looked at Qrow with a concerned look, " James, what have you been doing?" He asked himself tearing his gaze away from yours.

You looked at the soldiers walking in the streets of Mantle, " Why is he doing this?" You asked, Weiss looked at you, " This isn't right. None of this is right." You looked at her scroll and saw that Winter didn't answer.

The Women's voice came back from the Talkie, yes were calling it a Talkie now, " Manta 5-1, we've noticed a detour in your route. You are to make your way to docking bay Omega 12 _immediately_. Do you copy? Over." 

" Can we even trust Ironwood? I mean with everything going on we need to find out what Ironwood has been doing." Nora finally decided to speak up, everyone agreed but you stayed quiet, " Y/N?" Ren asked, " Oh, sorry, you lost me at " Can we even trust Ironwood", " You heard Qrow snort, " But yeah." 

" We're kind of running out of time here, kids." Maria warned, " We need to ditch the ship." Yang said, it wasn't much of a suggestion it was more of an Order.

Qrow decided to agree with his niece." Agreed. Get lost in Mantle and buy ourselves some time." 

" I'm telling you, my sister can take us to Ironwood." 

You looked at Blake, you were both worried because of who you just saw on a screen in Mantle, " Uh, Weiss?" Blake called for her, Weiss walked towards the window and in between you and Blake, she gasped at the sight of seeing her sister on the screen.

" _A reminder."_

" Huh?"

" _Failure to cooperate with Atlas military personnel is a punishable offense. If your sector is under lockdown…"_

You looked at Weiss and she had her eyes wide-opened, " Winter?" Was the only way she reacted to that.

" No offense, Weiss. I'm not sure that's a good idea anymore." Qrow had said, " I think that idea is on all our minds right now, just you said it out loud," You said.

Weiss looked at you with disbelief then walked to the middle of the Airship facing Qrow then you, " There's obviously something _very_ wrong. If we can just talk to her, then we--" " Look, I'm not even sure we should be talking to _Ironwood_ until we know exactly what's going on with Mantle." Qrow interjected.

" **But--"**

" Everyone, calm down," Maria interjected Weiss and gave out a weary sigh " I know someone who can help with both."

" **_Manta 5-1, you are to make your--"_**

" Someone shut this lady up," You said.

" Geez, lady, take a hint!" Maria yelled and she turned the Talkie off.

* * *

You all landed in Mantle and walked down an alleyway, you were all walking slowly until you heard some soldiers " It landed over there, let's go!" someone said probably referring to the Manta, " Shit" you breathed out, " They must have seen the Manta fly down." 

You all started walking faster and were at the end of the alleyway " Come on now, hurry! It shouldn't be much of a walk." Maria said.

You saw a Faunus playing the banjo and sitting near a heater, " Nice tunes" You complimented and dropped down some lien in his hat, he smiled at you in return.

" Is this many soldiers normal?" Jaune asked taking in the sight of buildings and soldiers all across the streets of Mantle

" No. At least, I didn't think so." 

" It Isn't" You corrected, You've been down in Mantle enough times to know that none of this is normal, only about 2 soldiers would be in a neighborhood but now there are 6 in every street.

" I've been here enough times to know that James is doing something stupid with Mantle and--"

You looked at Yang who kicked some weird Atlesian device into the road and a truck hit it.

She winced, " Maybe we should pick up the pace."

Maria was walking in front of everyone leading the way, you felt like you've been on this street before many times but couldn't place why.

" You have to remember, the Kingdom had just lost the Great War. The people of Mantle needed a sign of a brighter future, and that sign was Atlas. After all, a home in the clouds is as bright as it gets." 

You waited for all the cars to pass by and Nora looked up at Atlas, then the Faunus Mineworkers covered in black splotches and dirt all over them.

" Unless _you're_ the one having to look up at it." Nora complained, feeling bad for the citizens of Mantle, Blake's ears drooped a little, " This whole city, it just seems horrible" 

"Yeah?" Some yelled, you turned around and looked at a man holding a flask.

" You don't like it here? There's plenty of space out in the tundra." 

" Sorry, I didn't mean to--" 

" Atlas is the greatest Kingdom in the world, alright?!" 

Sure it was amazing for the technology and for the people somehow being okay in the middle of the Tundra, but Atlas is also _not_ great for multiple reasons, like well, you've already guessed it, Faunus Criticism, Faunus Racism, Faunus abuse, and it goes on.

" Hey!" Ruby yelled from beside you, coming into the argument, well sort of an argument? it was clear the man was trying to start one.

" We can't cause a scene." 

" _The embargo..._ The embargo's got us in a rough patch. But it'll blow over, you'll see." Said another man sitting on the stairs, they were clearly drunk.

" We try and help the other Kingdoms, and _this_ is what happens? I say let 'em rot!" 

"I apologize. I didn't mean to insult you." Blake said trying not to cause a scene.

" Stupid Faunus--" 

Oh he just _pissed_ you off 

You looked at Weiss with a mischievous grin, she caught on and used her glyphs.

" Stupid Faunus like you wouldn't unders--" 

He looked below him and gave out a scream as Weiss's Glyphs caused the man to fly into the garbage can, everyone looked at her and you and you both just smiled.

" It was worth it." 

You saw some Atlesian knights and you all started running and caught up with Maria and Qrow.

* * *

You walked up to a Pharmacy and heard a males voice, you've heard that voice before...

" Ah, it's good to see you again, old friend." Maria greeted as she walked into the Pharmacy, you were behind Jaune, jeez he was tall, you couldn't see anything.

You heard someone hit their head hard, you winced at the sound.

" Ah, yes, yes. Have we met?" You snorted at his words but he sounded so familiar.

" Well, this is off to a fantastic start," Ren said sarcastically.

" Cybernetic optical implants. You adjust them. Every ten years or so?" Maria reminded, " Maria!" The man said excitedly, you walked to the front and saw Maria being guided by...Pietro?!

" Pietro?" You called, he turned around, " Y/N! Oh, it's such a pleasure to see you again!" He said, you walked up to him and hugged him, you broke the hug then he looked at Maria, " Oh wow, has it been that long already?" 

" Ah, I _know._ I age like a fine wine. Would've been here sooner if I hadn't run into _these_ jokers. At the time, I thought they might need my guidance while fighting a little old Sphinx." Maria said, " Y/N Can you pass me that screwdriver?" He asked, " Of course!" you responded, he then looked at Maria, " Oh, did they?" He asked.

" No, no. They had much more complicated issues." 

He chuckled a bit and you handed him the screwdriver, " So Y/N How have you been?" He asked.

You met Pietro 4 years ago during your time in the White-fang, you and Xanthe visited him for some supplies on fixing hush.

" I've been pretty great, I mean traveling to another kingdom on FOOT was exhausting but I mean everything else is fine." 

" Well that's great to hear, and how are Samantha and Xanthe doing?" 

You widened your eyes at hearing their names, you almost forgot that they were in Atlas.

" I'm...not so sure, ever since Beacon fell I haven't been in contact with them." You said solemnly.

" Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, after Beacon fell Xanthe stopped coming here, she was my assistant for a while, I even taught her some stuff." 

You looked at him surprised, " She became your assistant?" You asked.

" Yes, she's helped me design a lot of new mechanics, and by the looks of your weapon she's done a very good job at designing yours." 

You looked down at Hush then chuckled a bit, " Well if I ever run into her here I'll be sure to tell her that." 

" I can't believe I haven't seen you in 4 years," You said, " Time flies by fast." 

He chuckled a bit, " Indeed it does." 

" And this is..?" Qrow butt in the conversation, you forgot that everyone was in the room for a second.

Maria clicked her tongue and shook her said, " So impatient. I didn't think I'd _need_ to introduce one of Atlas' finest minds."

"Working in a place like this?" Yang butt in.

You heard a crashing noise and looked to your right and saw that a tile from the roof fell.

You winced at that.

" He likes to keep a low profile. Something I've come to realize none of _you_ know _anything_ about."

You snorted, " She's not wrong" You agreed.

"You can call me Pietro." He said.

" Finest _heart_ , too. This pharmacy is just where he volunteers when he's not building the future of Atlas alongside Ironwood, up in the clouds." 

" She's right, when I used to come to Mantle I always came here to get tools to work on Hush, he loves to help others while he can" You agreed.

" Oh, it's stuffy up there. Down here, I get to help the locals _and_ have a little fun. I'm currently working on shoes that make you dance. Wanna try 'em on?"

You and Nora both widened your eyes at his words and looked at each other beaming.

 **" YES!"** You both yelled.

" _Before_ we get to _that_ ," You both pouted at Yang's words.

" we were wondering if you could help us. We came to Atlas hoping to talk to General Ironwood, but um…"

" What exactly has been happening here?" Blake finished her sentence.

He made a sad sounded sigh, " Well, the Fall of Beacon took a toll on all of us. James was no different. I couldn't tell you exactly what it was he saw there, but it changed him. He's…" " Scared" Qrow interjected.

" Paranoid would be the more appropriate term. You have to understand, it wasn't just the Grimm. Someone completely dismantled Atlas security code, made it their play-thing, and made us look like traitors to some and buffoons to everyone else. Whoever managed to do that is either a genius or one of our own. I fear the answer may be both, and so does the general."

_Dismantled Atlas's security code?_

You didn't want to think about Xanthe possibly working with Salem but she was a scientist, well not entirely but she could hack a bunch of shit.

she had hacked into Atlas's security cameras during your years in the White-fang.

_could she be working with Salem..?_

You shook those thoughts away, she would never work with Salem.

" Maybe Atlas isn't as safe as we thought." Damn you forgot Ren was here.

" After we came all this way, we can't just leave, can we?" Oscar asked, Weiss started pushing through everyone.

" How does the _council_ feel about all of this? Or Winter Schnee? Do you know anything about _her_?" 

She's worried for her sister, you looked at Pietro who opened his mouth and was about to speak.

" Well, the council's so scared, they'll agree to whatever he wants. Though, some representatives from Mantle… Wait, you're… You're Weiss Schnee!

" _Well our cover's been blown"_ You said.

" Wait, what was it that you were trying to say about Mantle?" Yang tried to get answers, she pointed her mechanical arm at him, " You _painted_ it." 

" What?" Yang asked, you were both confused at his words. " Is everything okay?" Ruby asked, Team RWBY walked up to the front and Pietro widened his eyes in shock, " You're Team RWBY!" 

You widened your eyes, how does he know them? I mean Vytal festival obviously but after the Fall of Beacon he still remembers them?

" You _know_ us?!" Ruby yelled.

" Oh, my girl, I do. I most certainly do. And I feel like such a dunce for not recognizing you sooner. My daughter's told me so much about you." 

" Your...daughter?"

You were startled to hear the City's alarms turn on, " Ah, trouble." Jaune said as he ran outside and you all did, " Wait!" Pietro yelled but you all ignored him.

" I guess the city defenses aren't doing much." Oscar said with concern in his voice.

" Somehow, that doesn't surprise me." 

" Nora, they never do much." But you still agreed.

You saw some Atlesian Knights fall to the ground as Grimm attacked them, " Well, we didn't come this far to fail now!" Ruby quickly launched herself with Yang towards the Grimm.

You quickly looked at Weiss who already had the same idea, the glyphs back on the train.

she had 3 Glyphs already ready for you that headed up into the air, you jumped on each then once you reached the last one you took out the needle of Hush and held it in your hand, you reached close the the Sabyr and dug the needle deep into it causing it to turn to Black dust.

You held the needle and Hush firmly as another Sabyr was heading towards you, you were about to stick the Needle into it's mouth but a green laser cut through the Sabyr.

" _What..?"_ _You breathed out._

You looked around and saw all the Sabyrs disappear, you looked at Oscar who was just as confused as you were.

You saw a person in the sky, by the hair and body it looked like a girl, she floated down slowly and quickly realized who it was, you gasped in shock to see your friend who was dead-hell ripped to pieces ALIVE.

" Penny..!' You heard Ruby breathe out, you turned around to see a light shining in her Silver eyes, shocked but breathed out a happy laugh.

"Darling, why don't you say hello to your friends?"

" Wait your last name's Polendina?!" 

You looked at Penny who was BEAMING, A giant light shining in her eyes.

" Sal..."

You stepped out of the way.

"U..."

You looked at Ruby who was now confused yet you knew.

_Tations_

" TATIONS!" 

Penny launched herself towards Ruby and she started screaming, " PENNY N--" Andddd she was on the ground, Penny hugging her tightly, You know, if she ever hugged a person with no Aura she could kill them--

" It is such a pleasure to see you all again!" The young girl said cheerfully as she was now standing.

" Penny, I… I-I thought you…"

" Died?" Pietro butt in, finishing her sentence, " I guess, in a manner of speaking, she did. But we were able to recover her core from Amity Arena once it had made its way back to Atlas. It took me some time, but…" 

"I'm as good as new! Better, even! And now I'm the official protector of the city!"

" That's my girl. We're not going to let a little ripping to shreds stop us, are we?" 

" No sir!" Penny said happily as she hit herself in the head giving a medal sound as feedback.

The rest of team RWBY decided to finally decided to share their thoughts, 

" This is…" Weiss started trying to find a word, " Strangely wholesome." Blake finished, " Sounds like Penny to me." Yang said.

You pointed at Penny, eyes wide, " You died-" 

Pietro laughed a bit, and so did Penny before she looked back at her best friend, " We have so many things to catch up about. I cannot wait!"

You heard the sirens go on around the City again.  
  
" It seems we will have to wait." Said the girl as her boots started launching herself into the sky, "let's talk more later! I can't wait to hear about all of your adventures and tell you how I have been and I am just very excited about the whole experience!!" She said with her voice fading as she headed towards the rest of Mantle.

" I can't tell if I completely understand what's going on or have, like, a million questions." Nora said.

Pietro chuckled a bit before walking back towards his pharmacy, " And thankfully, I have about a thousand answers. But let's get out of this weather first."

Maria was confused the whooooole time, " I have absolutely no idea who that child was. Is she important somehow?"

Now it was time for the rest of team JNOR to react, except Oscar, " That was unexpected."  
  


"Never a dull moment."

" But I wouldn't say unwelcome. I was honestly expecting things to go a lot rougher." Qrow cut in, you all started walking towards the pharmacy, but suddenly.

Your face was planted into the cold ground of Mantle, you tried moving your arms and legs but you could only wiggle them and you knew what was on you and you sighed out loud, " _Bolas"_ you mumbled, still not aware of anyone else since you couldn't see.

" Hey! What's going on?!" you heard Oscar also wiggling around, he was pretty close.

" Hey, pal! I'm a licensed Huntsman! Just helped save everyone?" Qrow said sounded struggled and mad.

You could only see a small amount from the sides of your face, you saw a hand pick up Hush, fuck.

You heard the Lamp being picked up, shit shit shit.

_fuck fuck fuck fuck f-_

" Hm. Let's get them loaded into the next transport." Said an unknown voice, obviously was a male.

" Please! We were just trying to help!" Ruby said squirming. 

You heard Pietro's mechanical chair, " What is the _meaning_ of this? What are the Ace-Ops even doing down here in Mantle?"

" Ace-Ops?" Ruby asked, " Yep..Ace-ops" you mumbled.

" Doctor, good to see you. Well, we heard a report of an unauthorized ship making an unauthorized landing, followed by an unauthorized use of weapons by unlicensed Huntsmen." Said the unknown male again.

_He's not wrong._

" If we could just talk this out--" 

" They'll be able to talk this out once they get to Atlas. Let's move out!" 

You heard the sound of what sounded like a...fishing rod?

A Atlesian Knight helped you up and you were now seated in a Airship, or Manta? you had no idea, but the Gravity Bolas were still around your wrists, you remembered the last time when you were arrested here with Samantha.

" Well this has been a lovely first day back to Mantle" You said and the doors of the ship quickly shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think everyone knows what's gonna happen next chapter...  
> Also, I promise I'm not an Adam stan-


	15. Marrow..?

You were sitting in the Airship across from Nora, watching her try and chew the bolas off, " Nora, it's no use" 

She pouted and looked at you but kept going.

" Where do you think they're taking us?" Ruby asked, you looked at the ONLY Adult on the ship, " I'm gonna go with jail."

" I still can't believe that fishing pole guy took us out like it was nothing." Jaune spoke up, " Wait Hold on he had a fishing pole--"

" Welcome to Atlas. Those were Ironwood's Ace Operatives." Weiss interjected, you've heard of the Ace-ops but they never go down in Mantle.

You scoffed, "  _ Atlesians"  _ You mumbled.

"You guys had a run-in with the Ace-Ops? Ironwood must really have a bone to pick with you." 

You heard the voice of a man and looked to your left, the body of a man was sitting in a dimmed spot.

" They're not  _ that _ big of a deal." 

_ Actually Weiss they really are, their Atlesians, of course, their bitc- _

" Not that big of a deal!? The Ace-Ops are  _ the _ elite-of-elite military Huntsmen and Ironwood's  _ personal _ attack dogs. " The man said as he jumped a little.

" So they got you too, huh," Nora asked.

" Pfft! I wouldn't let myself get caught by  _ them _ .  _ I'm _ here because  _ I've _ been speaking out against Atlas' exploitation of Mantle, and General Ironwood is trying to  _ silence _ me." 

" You threw a brick at our ship!" One of the soldiers yelled from the front.

" It's  _ worth _ it if it gets people talking about our cause!"

" "Our cause"? " Blake asked.

"  _ Yes _ , the fight for better conditions in Mantle! Lead by the charismatic, talented, lovely Robyn Hill and her Happy Huntresses!" He said jumping from his seat at each word.

You looked at the soldiers who now started closing a window, " They were all top Atlas Academy graduates, who could've signed up for the military, but Robyn and the Huntresses  _ chose _ to stay in Mantle. She's gunning for a seat on the kingdom's council, and when she  _ gets _ it, she's gonna put an end to Ironwood's tyranny!" He yelled and fully jumped from his seat.

" Happy… Huntresses?" Oscar finally decided to speak up, " Is that their real name?" Yang asked.

" Don't you think "tyranny's" a  _ little _ dramatic?"

_ No Weiss, honestly I don't. _

" Easy to say for a  _ Schnee _ heiress, living comfortably up in Atlas." The man finally moved into the light.

Weiss gave out a sad sigh, " Not anymore."

" Whoa, it's  _ gorgeous _ up here!" Ruby said looking out the window beaming with light.

You gave Weiss a glance, " Don't let  _ that _ fool you." 

The man looked out the window, " This isn't the police station." 

You looked at Qrow confused and you both stood up and looked out the window, " It's… Atlas Academy."

the Airship landed and the doors opened, Ruby was the first to step out, " I guess we  _ will _ be seeing the General. For better or worse."

You all walked into the academy and into a elevator that would lead to the floor where the Generals office.

* * *

So, what do we do?" Ren asked, he was obviously asking Ruby.

" I don't know yet. But we should be careful with what we say." She responded, one of the soldiers turned their head slightly and took in the sight of a bunch of teenagers and a adult.

_ And who we say it around?! _

_ " We'll follow your lead, Ruby." the Faunus informed her. _

_ the elevator doors opened and you followed the soldiers with everyone else. _

_ You heard footsteps about 20 feet away, you looked at Blake who also heard to as her ears flinched. _

_ Growing up with the White-Fang had some perks, you were able to hear as good as Faunus with an ear trait, you could also see a bit in the dark but not much, which is why you had a special pair of glasses. _

_ BunnyVision, Courtesy of Velvet, the glasses could help you see in the dark if you pressed a button at the side of the glasses. _

__ _ You felt the Aura of 3 people, you only recognized 2 _

_ James and Penny _

_ But who was the 3rd person?  _

_ you kept walking and stopped when you bumped into Yang, you looked at the front and saw the soldiers had stopped. _

_ " I swear if I have to sit through one more council meeting like that…"  _

_ You heard a man say, he appeared into an open area, it was James, Penny, and Winter. _

_ " Yay, you're here!" Penny said, cheerfully. _

_ Oh, so that's who the 3rd person's Aura was, Winter. _

You never really met Winter so you couldn't just recognize her Aura since you never talked to her.

_ Weiss pushed through the crowd, " Winter."  _

_ You looked at Winter who seemed shocked, mouth wide open, " Anyone wanna give us a hand with these?" Nora said, shoving her hands in the air trying to show the Bolas on her hands. _

_ Winter straightened her posture and had a serious face, " You have ten seconds to take those off before I start hurting you." With her Military voice. _

_ Jeez, Atlesians and their accents- _

The soldiers took off the Bolas, " Were so sorry!" 

" Please forgive us!"

You chuckled a bit, " It's fine, not the first time I've been arrested"

James looked at you slightly surprised but also understanding, due to your well, _immatureness._

* * *

" Please, come in," James said holding his hand out into an office, you scoffed at how empty it was just like Ozpin's office.

" What is it with headmaster's having empty offices?" You asked, you heard James laugh a little, " Believe me there's a reason but It is so good to see all of you."

" Our reception didn't really _convey_ that," Yang said, having her hand on her wrist, you did the same movements she did, your wrists a little sore from the Bolas.

he sighed, " I sincerely regret how you were treated by my team."

_ I hope you are _ James.

" When a rogue airship entered our airspace, it raised some… red flags. We assumed the ship was stolen." 

_ it was James, it was- _

" Stolen?!" Ruby said awkwardly, hand on the back of her head then she sighed, " Okay, yeah, it was stolen." she admitted

James chuckled a little, " So James how does it feel to know that a bunch of teenagers and an adult just stole from YOUR Military?" You asked, his smile grew wide, brothers he must have been so lonely.

He was about to reply until Winter decided to speak up, " You _stole_ an Atlas airship?" she started walking down the steps and towards Weiss.

" What were you _thinking_!? You might've been _shot down_! How _unbelievably_ irresponsib--" 

She was cut off by Weiss hugging her tightly, Weiss must have missed her so much.

" I'm sorry I worried you. But we did what we had to do." Weiss said close to a whisper but loud enough for you to hear.

Winter sighed and hugged her sister back. " I suppose I understand." She broke the hug and her face quickly changed then looked at _Qrow._

_this should be good._

" But I cannot _believe_ that _you_ allowed this to happen, Qrow." 

He laughed a little, then pointed towards the group of teens on his side, " _You_ try stopping these kids when they have their mind set on something. Speaking of which… We have some important information for you that's… confidential."

You looked at James with a ' _you know'_ Face.

He was about to speak until he was cut off AGAIN by Penny, " Oh, is it about the Relics?" She asked cheerfully, she was always so cheerful and happy, you missed her so, so much.

" Or perhaps the Winter Maiden?" Winter asked, moving to the side of James' desk with a smirk on her face.

You widened your eyes and your jaw dropped, you wanted to ask but Qrow asked for you, and well _everyone._

" You told them?" 

James grinned, " Hm." He put his hand under his desk and grabbed the Relic, you sighed in relief that it was in one piece.

_ OH THANK GOD _

" Did you really think you were the only one who got to work on a new plan after Beacon? WIth Ozpin gone, I needed my own team of people I could trust. So yes, I told them. The Ace-Ops too. Which is why I'm so glad you're here… with this. Until now, I believed it was impossible to _truly_ turn the tide against Salem. Oz has pushed her back, has kept victory out of her claws, but she will keep returning stronger and stronger… unless we destroy her." 

_ unless we destroy her _

_ but we can't destroy her _

_ she's immortal... _

He obviously didn't know that Salem was immortal so you looked at Ruby with a ' what do we do?' face.

" But… what about the Atlas Relic?" 

RUBY

" You mean the Staff of Creation?" James acknowledged.

" It's safe inside the Vault!" Penny said Cheerfully.

" And the Winter Maiden?" Qrow asked,

" She is secure and in stable condition," Winter said.

_stable condition? was she sick or something, like Amber?_

"Stable condition? What does that--"

 **"** She's, uh, not exactly a spring chicken." Qrow interrupted Yang.

James sighed, almost sounding said, ALMOST, "I know how this all looks. Recalling my military? The embargo? I probably don't seem the most trustworthy right now."

" Not wrong," You said.

 **"** Then why continue it?"

 **"** The people of Mantle are hurting!" Nora agreed with Blake

" I needed to ensure Salem couldn't infiltrate Atlas. And I wanted my military _here_ , protecting my people."

"But it's _not_ protecting them! It's making everyone hate you." Yang said he sighed, " It's a price I'm willing to pay." He continued, walking down the steps, " Just as you all have been entrusted with the knowledge of Salem's existence, I need you all to trust _me_. I have a plan."

a platform had been raised and you stepped off of it, the room was now dark and the platform showed a Hologram, of...Amity Colosseum?

* * *

You were walking down the steps into an open area, James explained that he had a plan to reunite the world again, by a new communications tower on top of Amity Colosseum where then once it's up, we would tell the world about Salem, but he still doesn't know that she _can't_ be killed.

James wanted you to meet the Ace-ops but you stayed back with Qrow at the bottom of the stairs while everyone else decided to meet the Ace-ops.

" I'd like to sincerely apologize for the miscommunication down in Mantle. We didn't intend to--"

" I feel so bad, honestly! If we had known who you were, we'd be laughing over a hot meal right now and--" the sound of a Woman's voice cut off the same voice you heard earlier when you were arrested, Ruby interrupted the woman, " I understand. You were just following orders."

"I mean, you _could_ have asked us some questions first," Weiss said.

"Questions are for the weak. But we're all on the same team now. Not that I'm happy about it."

You gasped and widened your eyes at the voice, you knew that voice.

_could it be..?_

You still didn't want to go up and meet the Ace-ops so you closed your eyes and focused on the Ace-ops aura instead of everyone else.

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Marrow

You opened your eyes even wider than before.

" No..." You breathed out, Qrow looked at you confused, " Hey, you okay?" He asked, you ignored him and started walking up to the crowd, it couldn't be Marrow...

You reached the front and saw a young man with Greenish-Black hair, a dog tail, an Ascot on his neck then you looked into a pair of light blue eyes, it was him.

you got locked into those eyes then snapped out of it

" Marrow..?" You breathed out, he looked confused then widened his eyes and his tail drooped, " Y/N..?" he also breathed out, there was an uncomfortable silence, everyone looking at you completely confused but thankfully Penny broke the silence.

" C'mon! Let me show you around campus." Penny said as she started walking with the group, you went after them until James called your name, " Y/N!"

_Damn you, James_

You walked over to Ironwood and smiled as you saw him hugging Qrow, he broke the hug then looked at you and you sighed happily, " Hi James." You said and hugged him.

The Ace-ops soon came over, " General Ironwood Sir, " The man with brown hair said.

_ok, call him General Ironwood or Sir like-_

_"_ Ah Clover," James broke the hug, " Qrow, Y/N, I would like you to meet the Ace-ops"

" That's Clover, Leader of the Ace-ops." 

" Nice to meet you."

" Harriet. "

" Sup."

" Vine."

" Hello."

" Elm."

" Hey!" 

" And Marrow." 

" Hey.." He said awkwardly, hand behind his head.

Elm and Vine seem to be...rather close.

Elm reminded you of Nora, so exciting and soft but hella strong, she even had a hammer.

Vine also reminded you of Ren, Calm, and Soft.

and Yatsuhashi.

" Ace-ops this is Qrow and Y/N, My trusted friends."

" Ohh I don't think I've ever heard you say the word _friend"_ You looked back at him and he smiled a little.

" I assume you've read their files?" James asked Clover.

" Well I've read Qrow's file but, Y/N was it? Doesn't have a file." Clover said, " Hold on you have files on us?" You asked.

" Yes, " James started, " I'm the General, of course, I do but I don't understand why we don't have a file on you." 

Actually, you knew why, your real file shows you were in the White-fang sort of, well it showed that your guardians were Ghira Belladonna and Kali Belladonna.

Your file also showed...your parent's names, which you never thought to look at since you really didn't want anything to do with them.

Good news, you have a fake file, every White-Fang base has one on you.

" I Actually know where mine is!" You chirped up, James was really confused at this point, how did he not have a file on you when he was THE GENERAL.

" Do you need it?" You asked, " Yes," He replied, " As soon as you can."

" Got it!" You smiled at him.

" So where are we staying?" Qrow asked, James, opened his mouth trying to find the right words, " Well...the Ace-ops all live in the penthouse at the top of the Academy, it has exactly 8 rooms." 

That's a lot of rooms for 1 penthouse.

You cut him off from what he was about to say, " Answer that question to Qrow, I already have a house here in Atlas."

More like a mansion, you may have sent a letter to Samantha to see if she could get you a house in Atlas just in case you couldn't trust Ironwood.

Not that you don't trust Ironwood now, it's just that you're not staying with 100's of Atlesians in 1 academy.

You started walking away and heard James clear his throat, " Then how will you get to the Academy on time every morning?" He asked, damn he had a point.

You turned around and started walking back towards him, Qrow, and the Ace-ops, " Good point." 

" Soo to continue what you said?" Qrow reminded, " Oh yea! You will be staying with the Ace-ops."

" WHAT"

You and Qrow both yelled at the same time, " Would you rather sleep in a dorm?" He asked.

" No.." You and Qrow both said.

" Good, then staying with the Ace-ops is settled, Clover, why don't you and everyone else head to the Common room? I would like you all to get the know the students that came here earlier today, while I give Qrow and Y/N A tour then we will meet you back at the Common Room." James suggested.

" Sure thing!" Clover said as he and the Ace-ops walked into an elevator.

Staying with the Ace-ops....

This should be HORRIBLE.

YOUR STAYING WITH ATLESIANS,

THEIR BITCHES,

though Elm seems Vacuan.

STILL

Well, guess your staying with the Ace-ops for the next well, however long until Amity goes up.

Worst part.

Your staying with Marrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOU MEET UP WITH XANTHE AND SAMANTHA NEXT CHAPTER WOOOOOO  
> also sorry if my grammar is rlly bad


	16. Lower Cairn

James was giving you and Qrow a tour of a GIGANTIC Academy which just has the colours of Grey, Blue, and White.

" Jeez if I see any more pure white rooms I'm gonna go blind." You joked, James chuckled a bit, " Believe me the hospitals are the worst." 

Mhm, Atlas Hospitals that are pure White that goes with the non-stopping snow, yea I don't understand how Atlesians are used to that.

The worst part is, you're staying with 4 Atlesians, technically 5 if you count Marrow as one since he's been in Atlas for the last 4-5 years.

_Hopefully, the Garden isn't somehow white_

_OH WAIT THE GARDEN_

" JAMES IS THERE A GARDEN!" James flinched at how loud you were, " Yes" He replied.

" Yes!" You breathed out.

" We should probably head to the Common Area," James said, `you followed him and Qrow into an empty hallway.

You kept walking and you saw Team FNKI well Neon and Flynt.

" Neon! Flynt!" You cried out, they turned around and Neon quickly used her rollerblades to get to you and jump onto you.

She jumped into a hug and you and she fell to the ground, " Oh, Oops!" She said happily.

She got up and helped you up, Flynt soon hugging you after.

Flynt and Neon quickly straightened their posture and greeted their headmaster.

" Headmaster Ironwood!" Neon said and she soon looked at Qrow, "Aaaaand random dude."

You snorted.

" Miss, Katt, Mr, Coal, where's the rest of your team?" He asked.

" Oh, we decided to go get food." Flynt responded, " This late?" James asked.

" Oh Puh-lease, we always get frozen yogurt this late!" Neon said.

" Neon, they're both old they would never understand."

" HEY!" Qrow and James said in mock from your words, you chuckled a bit, and James cleared his throat.

" Well it was nice seeing you guys, tell Ivory and Kobalt I said Hi!" You said and hugged Neon one last time, you felt her put something in your pocket.

_this should be good_

While walking to the Common Area, you let James and Qrow walk in front of you so you could see what Neon put in your pocket.

You pulled out whatever she put in your pocket, it was a piece of paper folded, you unfolded it and read it.

* * *

_Samantha and Xanthe miss you_

_Found out about your new role as the leader_

_did you tell anyone yet?_

_also rollerblading tomorrow_

* * *

Ah yes, Neon also knew about your secret, same with the rest of team FNKI.

Kobalt, the K of Team FNKI, Had an aunt that is a Faunus, she was in the White-fang but killed by Faunus Abusers so he was accepted to only help the White-Fang, not join it, then the rest of Team FNKI helped out but they had no idea that the White-Fang had planned an attack on Beacon.

Team FNKI also met Samantha and Xanthe, Neon would hang out with them whenever they had the chance.

So that's basically how they met you, at the White-Fang base in Mantle, down at the Slums.

The slums were also in the Crater, beneath Atlas, it was home to hundreds of Faunus, it wasn't a...nice place but the Inside of the base was gorgeous, with your semblance and the glass chandelier and extra glass decorations, yea, it was _gorgeous._

It was a gigantic base, weird how something big can be well hidden.

yea I just realized how that sounded...

You put the letter back into your pocket and caught up with James and Qrow.

_Definitely rollerblading with her tomorrow- wait hold on did she just randomly have a letter for me-_

" James how long until we can upgrade our weapons?" Qrow asked.

" Well, Pietro will be here tomorrow so I hope you have ideas for your upgrades, it should take him about a week and a half to upgrade all of them" He responded.

" Thanks"

You reached the common room and saw 4 couches, a kitchen, and a TV by the couches, RWBY, JNR, and the Ace-ops already sitting down.

" Hey!" Everyone yelled, other than Ruby who screamed " UNCLE QROW!" 

You and Qrow sat down with the others, you sat down beside Nora and Harriet.

* * *

" YOU GUYS WHAT!?" Harriet yelled from beside you.

You laughed a little, " Yea every single student was running out of the cafeteria, and Nora used a watermelon on a stick to throw Yang out and she flew through the roof." 

" Do you have it on video!?" Elm asked, " Well if I did that would mean I had to look at the security cameras which I couldn't since I was a student." You responded, there was a moment of silence, " So yes." 

You grabbed your scroll, Marrow was sitting across from you, he hadn't talked this whole time, only small talk to Blake beside him.

You connected your scroll to the TV, what you didn't know is that you left your scroll on the ' Who is in Range' page.

The scroll connected and it showed a few names, you read them quickly.

* * *

_Zedd Ray_

_Neon Katt_

_Flynt Coal_

_Ivori_

_Kobalt_

_Ruby Rose_

_Qrow Branwen_

_Samantha Irwenic_

_Xanthe Renalds_

* * *

After reading the last 2 names you quickly switched to Videos on your scroll and looked for the video of the food-fight

You quickly looked at Marrow, his eyes wide, he must have seen Xanthe and Samantha's name.

You found the video and you were about to press it until Ruby spoke up, " Who are Samantha and Xanthe?" 

" Yea, you and Pietro were talking about them back at the pharmacy" Jaune said, you cleared your throat and quickly glanced at Marrow, " Just friends." You said.

Ruby was about to respond but you quickly pressed the video of the food-fight between RWBY AND JNPR.

you looked at Jaune who seemed a little bit sad, the rest of JNPR was sad, I guess from seeing Pyrrha.

* * *

Everyone was half-asleep, you checked the time and saw that it was almost midnight, just 1 more hour then Nora and Blake would be snoring like crazy.

" Sooo" Elm started, " What crazy things did you do with your team Y/N?" 

" Well, I had 2 teams." You responded.

" 2 teams?" Vine asked.

" Yea, well sort of, my first team was Team T/M, but during my second year I started going on missions with Team CFVY and sleeping in their dorm." You said.

" How come you couldn't sleep in your own dorm?" Clover asked.

" Well--"

" Team T/M were a group of rats," Yang interjected.

" Yeep."

" Well...did you ever do anything crazy with Team CFVY?" Harriet asked.

" Nope, nothing stupid or crazy, other than pissing off Professor Goodwitch"

" Now that is not true!" Nora chirped up, you were startled at how she just had the amount of energy.

“ what about that time you had a small food fight in the cafeteria?”

“ or when you and Fox blew the lab up?”

“ or the time you all tried resurrecting a frog?”

“ When you accidentally pushed Qrow into the fountain?”

That was not an accident.

“ When you threw melted marshmallows at people?”

“ How about when you covered Ozpin’s office in sticky notes while we were doing initiation?”

That took so long, but thankfully you made it back in time to the school and watched the initiation.

“ When you put bows all over Velvet’s rabbit ears?”

“ When you and Coco set the dorm on fire?”

“ When you and Coco set OUR DORMS ON FIRE”

“ Okay Jaune I never meant to burn your pumpkin Pete sweater-“

“ When you wacked the noodle man with Hush cuz you didn’t want to pay for your noodles?”

“ When you put glue on Glynda’s seat?” 

You had to spar with her after she was freed from the chair.

“ When you poured honey all over Team CRDL”

“ When you pushed Cardin down the steps of the school and kicked his ass”

You looked at the Ace-ops and Qrow who had their eyes and mouth wide opened, surprised at everything you did with team CFVY

“ OH, And when you and Yatsuhashi blew up the lab with Fox again?”

_Ruby nO_

“ Well...okay then,” Clover said.

“ What about missions? Team RWBY Started a Grimm attack on Vale and JNPR never got to go on their mission because of that.” Clover said.

There was one you remembered with team CFVY, when CFVY went to Lower Cairn they were supposed to be back after a week but never did so Ozpin has sent you to help them and you ended up staying there for another week with them, missing the Vytal festival dance.

Lower Cairn was overrun with Grimm and CFVY was sent to look for survivors and clear out the Grimm and you were soon sent with them too.

“ There was one, but be ready, this isn’t a nice story.”

You looked at everyone in the room, RWBY and JNPR were never told about what happened at Lower Cairn, when you came back from the mission RWBY had run up asking questions but you and Velvet were just too... _ashamed_...of what happened.

“ It was during our second year, we were supposed to be back after a week but ended up staying for 2 weeks in Lower Cairn.”

“ hold on, was this the mission you came back from the day we left for our mission?” Blake asked.

“ Yep, when team CFVY never came back, Oz- Professor Ozpin sent me on the mission with them after.”

Some people’s faces fell when you said Professor Ozpin, thankfully the Ace-ops hadn’t noticed, you couldn’t even say Ozpin anymore.

“ I thought it would be fine, clear out the Grimm and find survivors but it was so much _more_ , for the first time in my life, I was even more scared than finding out about Salem.”

* * *

_“ I don’t get it, they should be right here.” Fox sent_

_“ I guess you slightly overdid your ability to track the survivors” Coco sent._

_Fox shrugged, “ I know someone’s out there but the signal is weak, I and Y/N can’t feel much of an Aura but we know it’s around here.” He sent._

_“ I think the mountain passes are causing interference, either that or...” You sent but quickly stopped._

_“ Or what?” Velvet wanted to know._

_“ There aren’t enough survivors to get a fix on them.” Fox sent for you._

_“ The longer it takes to locate them, the fewer there’ll be” Coco sent._

_“ We should probably call it in.” Fox sent._

_“ Not yet.”_

_“ Coco, we've been out here for 10 days, we should've been back at Beacon a week ago.” Yatsu sent._

_“ Well Professor port did check-in, as in he called, but Coco snapped at him saying we were in a precarious spot right now because of all the Grimm and she hung up on him.” You sent._

_Velvet groaned, “ Really Coco?”_

_You looked around and started walking trying to locate the survivors but with every step away you took from the spot you were in before, their signal became weaker._

_“ UGH I HATE THESE THINGS!”_

_You heard Yatsu yell and the ground started shaking a bit and you looked and saw that he smashed his sword into the Creep Grimm, Velvet is nowhere seen until you looked to his right and saw that Velvet was on the ground, she was probably attacked by it._

_“ Seriously what was that?!” Coco said out loud._

_Guess we're not using team speak anymore._

_“ Velvet pay more attention!”_

_“ What?” Velvet said, shocked._

_“ Have you not noticed we're in hostile territory right now?”_

_“ Well yes but—“_

_“ Then how did you let a Creep sneak up on you like that?”_

_“ Hey go easy on her” Yatsu cut in, “We're all right.”_

_Coco glanced and pointed at Yatsu, “ And you.”_

_“ Me?”_

_“ You went a little overboard on that Grimm, save your strength, there’s no one to show off to out here.”_

_“ He didn’t do it on purpose,” Velvet said._

_“ then he needs to control himself better,” Coco said._

_“ He knows that!” Velvet was getting angry, her fists clenched._

_“ He spends every moment of every day, he doesn’t need you to tell him what to do, none of us do! Look where it’s gotten us”_

_Velvet wasn’t wrong, you were all in a hostile territory with Grimm hidden behind rocks or in a mountain._

_A stunned silence fell over the group._

_“ I’m your_ leader,” _Coco said._

_“ Leading means more than bossing us around” Fox sent, guess we're back to TeamSpeak, “ Or getting on our cases when we fail to live up to your absurdly high expectations.”_

_You sighed in frustration, “ Guy’s all this negativity will bring Grimm” You sent._

_“ Well Y/N I don’t think you’ve noticed but we’re already SURROUNDED BY GRIMM”_

_“ I don’t need your blatant sarcasm, Coco.”_

_She scoffed, “ it's not like you guys have come up with any better ideas”_

_“ How can we when you never even offer us the chance?” Yatsu sent._

_He wasn’t wrong, you weren’t officially a part of the team but you knew every weakness of this team, one was Coco._

_“ If you want us to trust you, then you need to trust us.” He finished._

_“ We’re a team aren’t we?” Velvet sent._

_You let the conversation continue in your head as you walked around, suddenly you heard a dry and low “help” you looked at Fox who heard it too, he held his hand up._

_“ Shhh. Listen.” He sent._

_Everyone stopped talking telepathically and Velvet’s ears flinched._

_“ I heard it too” She sent, “ Follow us”_

_You went deeper into the passage and soon the others heard it too- faint voices, calling for help- The voices led you all to a narrow crevice in the side of the mountain, maybe one and a half feet across._

“ Hello?” Velvet called

There was silence for a minute until a bunch of people started cheering and sobbing.

“ One at a time,” Velvet said, “ We can’t hear you”

“ Thank the brothers you found us” A man's voice called, “ Were trapped underground, part of the tunnel caved in a minute ago _”_

You all glared at Yatsuhashi who rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

“ Are you from Lower Cairn?” Coco asked.

“ Yes! The Grimm attacked, destroyed the village. It was so fast.”

“ How many are with you?” Velvet asked.

There was no answer.

“ Hello?” You and Velvet both called.

“ There’s only six of us” Someone sobbed.

“ Only six…” you breathed out

You looked at Coco who slumped to the ground beside the crack in the mountain.

“ Over Two hundred people lived in Lower Cairn,” Velvet said.

“ _My gods..” Fox sent._

“ That means these are the only people who survived..” You said.

“ Maybe there are more survivors “ Yatsu looked away from the mountain path.

It was a miracle that you all found these people, but that made it even more important to come to them.

“ Are you hurt?” Velvet asked.

“ My wife sprained her ankle, and my son needs his medicine.” The man said.

” and we're very hungry and thirsty”

It's been 10 days and they haven't eaten or drank anything, they're the only survivors left of Lower Cairn.

” We're coming to you” Velvet said ” We’ll get you out”

She removed her camera and started lowering herself in the opening but stopped when Coco put a hand on her shoulder.

” Hold on what are you doing?” Coco asked.

” We can't waste anymore time, this is what we came here for, ” Velvet said.

Coco shook her head, ” Velvet your hurt ” 

” I’m fine, and, no one else can squeeze through.”

” I can make it bigger” Yatsuhashi said, holding his sword.

” NO” You yelled.

” You're more likely to bring down the tunnel if you try Yatsu,” Coco said.

” I’m just as small as you Velvet, shorter if you don't count the ears.”

” Besides, the team will need you, Y/N’s and Foxes hearing to find another entrance and locate me and the survivors. I'll go, this is all my fault anyway right?”

You sighed, ” Coco-”

” We didn't mean that,” Velvet said.

” You all did and you were right, your semblance led us right, Fox. The survivors were exactly where you thought they were, only they were under us, I'm sorry for doubting you and Y/N”

You and Fox both nodded and smiled at her.

” When we get out of here, we should probably all talk, we have some _things_ to work out” 

Velvet crawled out and Coco took her place.

She took off her sunglasses and looked down, ” Sure is dark down there, isn't it?” You could hear the tremble in her voice.

When Coco was young, she was playing hide and seek with her brother.

She hid in a cabinet and when her brother never found her she decided to get out but the cabinet wouldn't budge, no matter how much she kicked and yelled, no one heard her. She was stuck for maybe an hour in that dark, small space, her father found her when she started banging on the pipes and her father heard it down in his workshop.

Ever since she's had a terrible fear of dark spaces.

She gave her glasses to Coco, ” Hold on to these and don't scratch them.” 

Coco started doing down the crevice and then you couldn't see her anymore.

” _You all right?” Fox sent to Coco._

_” I’m fine.”_

_After a few seconds her voice popped up in your head again._

_” Well that was a one-way trip ”_

_” I'll have to find the survivors and a new opening ” She sent._

_” We’ll look from the outside, and make a new opening if we have to,” Fox sent._

_” Drop my pack before you go”_

You dropped Coco’s bag down and with it, you winced as you fell.

You looked at the crevice and saw that it was a 10-feet drop.

_” Should have thought of a landing strategy for that” You sent._

_” Y/N? Are you down here?” Coco asked._

_” Yep”_

You walked towards a light which you assumed was Coco’s scroll, you reached her and found a family of 6 in a hollowed-out dead end.

” I’m Coco” She said to the family, ” This is my friend Y/N, we're from Beacon Academy” 

” Oh your students?” The man asked, ” I thought you were huntresses.”

” Huntresses in _training._ But we're the best at Beacon”

” Thank you for coming” the man introduced himself as Linus Gray, and the other survivors: His wife, Rhea; His son, Leandor; and his three daughters, Phoebe, Helen and Cilo.

One family was all that was left of Lower Cairn.

” _We found a way in, we're coming toward you” Fox sent._

_” Great ” She sent back._

” Our friends are coming.” She told the family.

You kept walking until Coco’s signal went low on her scroll, she looked at you to see if you had your scroll but you shook your head.

” _How are you guys doing?” Fox asked._

_” Fine.” You sent._

_” We lost our light but there seems to be only one way to go. Shouldn't we be meeting up soon?” Coco sent._

_” Can you try making some noise so we know how far you and Y/N are?” Yatsu asked._

_You and Coco saw a soft orange light ahead, ” Oh nevermind, we see your light”_

You all hurried toward the light. The path opened up into a larger cavern. Somewhere, water plopped rhythmically into a pool.

” _Light? We don't have a light” Fox sent, ” Yatsu’s following Velvet and I’m using my semblance”_

You and Coco froze.

” GO BACK!” You and Coco whispered loudly.

But it was too late. The light above their heads, was joined by two glowing red slits in the darkness.

” A DEATHSTALKER!” You and Coco both shouted.

Rhea screamed and her children started crying.

” _We hear you!” Fox sent, ” Did you say ’Death Stalker’?!?”_

_” Yes! Hurry!”_

The orange light moved farther away then it zipped towards Coco, you pushed her out of the way and you swung Hush up, whacking the claw out of the way.

The Scorpion's Tail had pierced Linus’s leg and he fell to the floor, he screamed, grunted and cursed.

Rhea grabbing his arm and tried to get him away.

” Damn” Coco muttered, she opened up her gun and tracked the Death Stalker, then fired.

” WAIT COCO-”

The tunnels shook, dirt and stone raining down on everyone, ” Stop!” Rhea screamed, ” You’ll bring it down on all of us!”

Coco stopped firing, you winced as a big rock hit your back but thankfully, you had enough Aura.

_” We're here!” Fox sent, ” Coco don't shoot us”_

” _Are you okay?” Yatsu asked ” We heard the Gunfire”_

The rest of Team CFVY had arrived, and they brought light.

You flinched as a flashlight illuminated the place but it wasn't a flashlight.

No, it was a hard light dust weapon of Yatsu’s sword.

Fox had hacked at the Death Stalker’s legs and Yatsu pulled the stinger out of Linus’s leg, Linus crawled away with his wife's help.

Velvet cut off the Death Stalker’s tail with the sword.

” When I fire, Run!” Coco yelled, loud enough for the family to hear.

” Hold on--”

Coco started firing at the Death Stalker.

The Death Stalker’s shrieks had stopped and you assumed it was dead.

Coco had killed the Death Stalker but the tunnel had started to crumble.

” Run!” You screamed.

You all ran, it was slippery up ahead, a muddy slope.

You were almost on the way out until 3 Ursai had surrounded the Gray family.

Fox went for one while Velvet used daggers for the second Ursa and Yatsu had slashed his sword through the third.

The Gray family had run through the opening in the ring of Grimm towards Coco, ” What are you doing?” She yelled.

Linus fell and Rhea and Leander went back for him, she yelled something at the children but you couldn't hear from Coco’s gunfire.

Coco ran out of bullets.

” NO!” Coco screamed, you turned around and saw as the third Ursa grabbed Linus in its teeth, the man screamed then everything went quiet.

Rhea fell to her knees, screaming and sobbing.

You helped Rhea up and led her to her children.

” Get out of here!” You shouted at them.

More Grimm kept coming and coming.

The family had second thoughts, worried for the group of students, ” We can handle them” Coco informed.

The ground started rumbling.

You turned and looked up, and up, and up.

For the first time, you thought you were all gonna die.

Everyone froze.

_” That sounds bad,” Fox sent._

_” It’s very bad,” Yatsu sent._

_” A GOLIATH!” You sent screaming._

The Goliath had got to the bank of the river, looming over CFVY and the Family.

It's boned white-face plate was streaked with red, and it had a massive curved tusk, the other was broken in half.

This must have been what attacked Lower Cairn,

And it was here to finish them off.

Your weapon could do nothing to the size of that Grimm.

The Gray family had screamed and ran back into the cave, ” WAIT! NO!” You screamed.

The Goliath slid down the slope, crushing the cave entrance and the Gray Family inside.

Velvet dropped to her knees.

Yatsuhashi had his sword raised and ran toward the Goliath, roaring.

” _Hold on, ” Fox sent._

A Bullhead came towards them, firing artillery at the Goliath pushing it back.

” PROFESSOR PORT!”

” Get in!” He shouted, and pointed to the open transport.

_” We have to go,” Fox sent._

Velvet shook her head, ” No, we can fight!”

” Velvet, it's a Goliath!! We can't do anything to the size of _THAT”_ You said.

_” We have to leave,” Fox sent._

” _We have to live ” he finished._

You pulled on Velvet's arm.

She shoved you away, ” We can still save them, we--”

” They're gone” You and Fox both said, ” I cant feel them anymore” You finished.

 _” I can't either,” Fox sent_.

” _I don't retreat” Coco sent, ” I'll hold them off ”_

_” You’ll die Coco” you sent back._

Velvet ran into the transport and you waited for Coco.

_” Don't be stupid, Coco” Fox agreed._

_” Stop it, there's no convincing her,” Yatsu sent._

You looked at him confused until you understood his plan.

He grabbed Coco and picked her up.

” Yatsuhashi, put me down!” 

You all got into the transport, ” We failed..” Coco mumbled under her breath, eyes wide from what just happened.

After about 15 minutes of complete silence, you all stepped out of the Bullhead with hopes of avoiding attention and getting back to the dorm quietly.

You looked around and saw that everyone was at the cliffside docks, it was the day that the Vytal Festival assignments were being given to students.

The First-year students were excited for their first real mission.

Coco finally decided to speak up, ” Well here we go. Let's put on a good face.”

” Maybe no one will notice us because there's too much going on,” Yatsu said.

Fox started counting, ” _Three, two, one—”_

” Hey, Y/N and Team CFVY are back” a random student had yelled out.

_” So much for no attention.” You sent._

_” It’s showtime.” Fox sent back._

Fox led the way to the dormitory while you walked beside Velvet, heads held high but you were trying to convey that you didn't want to talk to anyone right now.

The school saw you all as rock stars, the popular kids, celebrities but right now everyone felt none of that.

You were still sad from what happened, but it's life, you just move on.

Team RWBY we're watching from the sidelines as you all kept walking.

Coco kept pace with Fox but you and Velvet fell behind and Yatsuhashi slowed down to watch over Velvet.

Team RWBY ran up to you, ” Velvet, Y/N!” Blake called, you stopped and looked at the four first years running towards you.

” Are you okay?” Blake asked.

You nodded.

” We're fine, I had Yatsuhashi to watch out for me,” Velvet said.

You looked behind you and saw that Yatsuhashi had caught up with Coco and Fox, you and Velvet smiled at him.

” Your mission was supposed to end a week ago,” Weiss said, ” What happened?”

” Nothing happened,” Velvet assuredly lied.

”It was just...there were just so _many”_

* * *

You were in the commons room kitchen, everyone looking at you from the story you've just told, you had your back turned to them as you were getting a drink.

” They were just quiet in the dorm for days.” You said, still looking for a drink even though it was past midnight. ” I understood they were upset, but it's life, you just move on from it.” 

” How could you say that?” Blake asked.

You turned your head slightly and saw everyone looking at you as if they were waiting for an answer.

” Oh hold on, you want me to answer that?

Everyone nodded.

You turned around fully after finally finding a drink and leaned over the counter, you looked at everyone who was sitting on the couches, half asleep.

You took a sip from your drink with your finger up then swallowed and put your drink down.

You looked at it for a while then finally decided to look up, everyone waiting for your answer.

” Did you know that in Vacuo, they have one unspoken rule?”

Everyone didn't answer, which meant they didn't know.

” it's an unspoken one but everyone knows it, if you can survive there, then you're welcome there.”

” What does that have to do with Lower Cairn and the family?” Marrow asked.

” He speaks! ” You joked.

Your face turned serious, ” That rule should go for every other kingdom, and every settlement in them. If you can survive, then your welcome.”

” That can't be true.”

” Well Clover, it is, the weak die, the strong life. And they died.” You responded.

You sat back down with everyone and a moment of silence was broken when James finally decided to speak up, ”I’m...gonna go get some blankets” He said and chuckled nervously.

You looked at your scroll and checked the photos and pressed one of you and Team CFVY.

” Who are they?” Harriet asked as she yawned, you chuckled a bit, ” Team CFVY.”

” Hold on let me see.” Clover said.

You decided to connect your scroll to the TV which showed a picture of you with Team CFVY.

Velvet standing in front of Coco, Coco had her head on Velvet’s, in between her rabbit ears.

You on Fox’s back and Yatsuhashi kneeling a little so he could reach everyone's height.

” Who’s the blind kid?” Elm asked, ” Fox” Everyone responded.

” How can he fight Grimm?”

No one, except you knew how he did it.

” He can sense Auras, like me, he can feel a type of emptiness if it's a Grimm or if someone were unconscious, he can also recognize Auras if he spends enough time around someone. He taught me back at Beacon.”

James came back with the blankets and sat beside Qrow who was sitting beside Clover.

1 couch had James, Qrow, Clover, and Weiss

The 2nd had Blake, Marrow, Oscar and Yang.

The 3rd had Jaune, Ren, Vine and Elm.

The 4th had Harriet, you, Nora and Ruby.

( seated in name order )

* * *

Everyone was asleep now, Nora was sleeping on your lap and Harriet and Ruby we're on the headrest of the couch.   
  


_Maybe I should go see them._

You thought about going to the White Fang base, you had the location on a paper you turned into glass, you were about to get up until someone said your name.

” Y/N?” Clover whispered, Weiss’s head on his shoulder, you chuckled a bit, ” try not to wake her up buddy.”

” Can I ask you something”

” What’s up Clover?”

” That day, 4 years ago, was that you?”

You knew what he was talking about but you couldn't reveal yourself.

” What do you mean?” You said.

” Don't play dumb Y/N, I saw you, were you that girl outside? the night I took Marrow to Atlas.”

You checked everyone's Aura to make sure they were sleeping.

You sighed, ” Yeah…”

He widened his eyes in surprise, ” Do they know?” he asked, referring to everyone in the room.

” No, and you can't tell them, got it?”

He hesitated until he nodded.

You waited for him to fall asleep and he did about 5 minutes later.

You got up slowly and put a pillow on Nora’s head then walked towards the kitchen table.

You put your hand on the table and brought up a paper out of thin air with your semblance, the paper was covered by glass which you soon broke, it was the paper Ghira gave you that listed all the White Fang bases in the kingdoms.

You read and looked for the name ’ Mantle’

You found it and it showed coordinates.

You used your semblance to change into normal clothes instead of PJ’s and walked for the common room door quietly then left the room.

You sighed.

_Time to be a leader_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I said you'd see Samantha and Xanthe this chapter, but I decided next chapter :)  
> Also the Lower Cairnn mission is real, it's from the CFVY book: RWBY After The Fall  
> ( the book is canon )


	17. Welcome, High leader.

You were walking on the steps of the Academy, heading towards a Manta.

You got in it and made sure no one had followed you.

You pulled out something from your pocket and walked towards the front, plugging what was in your pocket into the Manta, it quickly turned on and AutoPilot was turned on.

” ADA” You called.

A noise came from the Manta which sounded like a computer starting up, then a woman's voice came from the front.

_ ” Welcome back, Y/N, how can I help you? _ ”

You smiled, ADA was a gift that Fox and Velvet got you for your birthday.

ADA was to help with disabilities, mostly people who were blind. You were confused on why Fox got you it but Velvet had soon helped you on making ADA connect to other devices and to tell you about any surroundings, or history of buildings and coordinates/locations. ( and to hack into any buildings )

You had ADA as an earpiece whenever you were traveling or a USB to put into a device or vehicle.

ADA was also short for: Accessibility Dialogue Assistant.

ADA can only be activated by your Voice Recognition.

” ADA take me towards these Coordinates”

You typed the Coordinates on a screen at the front of the Manta.

_ ” The Mantle Crater, is this where you would like to go, Y/N?” _

” The Crater is beneath Atlas right?” 

_ ” Correct ” _

_ ”  _ And in the Slums?”

_ ” Correct ” _

” Then yes.”

The Manta lifted into the air and headed towards Mantle, you didn't even have to do anything, you never thought ADA would come in handy but now she is.

You sat there for about 10 minutes until you reached the Mantle Slums.

You took the USB out of the Manta and switched ADA to your earpiece.

You walked out and saw a bunch of Faunus sitting by fires and some playing music. No one here was welcomed up in Atlas since they were Faunus, but anyone is welcome in the Slums, wealthy or not, Faunus or Not.

Some Faunus waved at you.

” ADA How many more feet?”

_ ” 36 more feet, until your destination” _

You reached your destination, it looked like an abandoned building on the outside, it was a pretty big building, hidden.

” ADA how many people are in this building?”

_ ” I sense about 578 Auras” _

You walked up to the door of the building.

It had a device on the side of the door, you pressed it.

It was asking for a password

” ADA what is the password?”

ADA didn't respond but she made the noise of a computer starting up again.

_ ” FaunusRights” _

” Thank you.”

_ did I just say thank you to a robot? _

_ ” Is that all you need Y/N?” _

” For now.”

ADA made a high pitched noise then everything went quiet.

You typed in the password and the door opened.

You walked in and heard a lot of Faunus talking and laughing. You walked up to another door where someone was.

” Ah, High leader L/N,” The Fox Faunus said.

” We've been expecting you”

” You have?” 

” Yes, please, come in.”

The Faunus opened the door and you were amazed as you saw hundreds of Faunus training, some sitting at tables laughing, you never saw anyone have this much fun here.

There were stairs in the middle of the room and circular white carpet, the railings of the stairs were wood and it led to 2 other stairs connected, on the right and left.

There was a glass chandelier on top and a few glass columns which you remembered you did that a few years ago. There was a glass floor going around the carpet then it continued to wood.

” Y/N!”

You heard some Faunus yell your name from tables, some Faunus who were training even stopped and turned around to wave at you.

” Y/N is back!”

You walked up to a table with a few Faunus you knew, a group of men not many years older than you.

” So, Y/N, we saw the letter Ghira sent, nice to know we got a new leader.” said the man, his name was Miko.

” Well Miko, it's nice to know you all care.”

Miko was only 3 years older than you, he was the right hand to Sienna Khan until Adam became her right hand.

” Y/N..”

You heard someone breathe out from behind you.

You turned around and saw them.

” SAMANTHA! XANTHE!” You cried and ran up to the 2 girls who then ran to you and you all jumped into a group hug.

” Oh it's so good to see you again!!” Xanthe said.

”  _ can't...breathe..”  _ You said, Xanthe was hugging you tight, same with Samantha.

” Oh sorry!” They stopped hugging you and gave you a moment to breathe then started hugging you again.

You laughed into the hug, ” It's good to see you guys too.”

Some of the Faunus we're cheering and yelling your name happily.

You, Samantha and Xanthe sat down with Miko.

” So where have you been?” Samantha asked, which you are now gonna call her Sam.

” After the Fall of Beacon, I stayed in Vale for a few months to help with the school, then I went to Mistral with a few friends, went to Haven Academy and found out that Headmaster Lionheart was working with the same people who caused the Fall of Beacon, then it was like a 3-hour fight with him and the people who caused it and then the White Fang was there, planting bombs on the school until Ghira and the Fang from Menagerie came and stopped them. After the Attack, we ended up winning and the people who caused it, unfortunately, got away but then I saw Ghira and I asked him if I could be the leader and he accepted. then we headed for Argus but got in a train crash and found some old lady and an abandoned home then got attacked by the Apathy but we made it out in time, then we made it to Argus, got in a fight with the Atlas military, stopped a Leviathan then came to Atlas.”

You looked at them who had their eyes wide and jaw dropped from how fast you said that and the stupid shit you got into.

After a moment of stunned silence, Miko decided to speak up, ” Okay then...”

” Y/N?” You heard someone call, you turned around and saw one of your old friends.

Zedd Ray

He was a Bunny Faunus like Velvet but had a tail instead of ears.

” Hey Zedd!” You greeted him and got up from where you were sitting then hugged him, then invited him over to the table you were all sitting at.

” So how long have you been in Atlas?” Miko asked.

” About…” you looked at your scroll and saw that it was 1:38 AM, ” 6 hours.

” WOOOW And you come visit us  _ now?”  _ Xanthe said teasing.

” I would have been here sooner if I wasn't arrested!”

” Wait you were arrested?” Zedd asked.

” Yep.”

” Who bailed you out then?” Samantha asked.

” This is gonna sound crazy, but General ironwood and Winter Schnee themselves”

You widened your eyes at how everyone choked on their drinks or their spit.

” Overreaction much ”

” What do you mean  _ General Ironwood _ bailed you out? _ ”  _ Miko asked.

You sighed, ” It's a long story, we were on our way to find the General when we noticed Mantle was in pretty bad shape so we went down and found Pietro, then the Grimm attacked, we fought and then we got arrested by the Ace-ops but General Ironwood ended up finding out who we were.” 

You looked at them and they had their heads down, their mood changed when you said Ace-ops, you smiled widely, but mad, because you knew why.

You had your hands interlocked, chin resting on them, and your elbows on the table, ” So when” You paused and smiled more, your rage filling.

_ I love scaring people. _

You continued, ” So when were you all going to tell me that Marrow was an  **ACE-OP!!** ” You screamed the last words startling some people around you, and the people sitting with you flinched.

There was a minute of silence.

” I'm waiting.” You said. You were a very impatient person.

Xanthe decided to speak up, ” We...we found out after the Fall of Beacon, with all the panic, the Grimm attacked and when we went to go help fight, we saw Marrow.”

” He didn't see us, though.” Samantha finished.

” We don't even know if he knows we're in Atlas.” Miko said.

” Oh he knows, well he only knows about Samantha and Xanthe.” You said.

” Were you able to talk to him?” Zedd asked. 

You sighed, ” Not much, after me and my friends, got arrested and the General wanted us to meet the Ace-ops we just looked at each other, eyes wide then the protector of Mantle broke the silence.”

You weren't sure if your friends knew who Penny was, they only knew her as the protector of Mantle, probably not the name Penny.

” Why did the General want you to meet the Ace-ops?”

You sighed, ” Well Zedd, I'm working with the General now.”

They all spit their tea out and started choking on their spit.

” Okay you guys are overreacting.”

” What do you mean by working with the General?” Xanthe asked loud but in a whisper.

You leaned in, you trusted everyone sitting at this table, they were your friends and family.

” The General is building a new communications tower.” You whispered.

Everyone widened their eyes, ” Why isn't he telling anyone?” they all whispered back.

” Sam, you got that letter about, you know?”

Samantha was confused until her eyes lit up, ” About Salem?” She asked.

Everyone's eyes went wide, ” I and my friends think Salem's people are  _ here,  _ and since the General knows about Salem, he's working on a communications tower, to tell the world about her.”

Back in Argus you also sent a letter to Samantha asking her to tell everyone sitting at this table about Salem, the Maidens and Relics.

Zedd cleared his throat, ” Well this has been a nice reunion but you need to know something Y/N”

” What is it?”

” Now since you're the leader of the White Fang you're gonna have lots of stuff to do. And we also found a group of people, who are willing to help the Faunus, one of them is even going for a council seat, we agreed to let them help.” Miko said.

Time to go in leader mode, you cleared your throat, ” Without my consent?” 

Miko’s eyes went wide, ” I- Well- Ya-” 

You started bursting out with laughter at his stutters, ” I'm kidding, who are they?”

Miko made a sigh of relief and everyone got up, ” Follow us, ” Samantha said.

You got up and followed them into one of the bars at the base, you walked in to find 4 ladies having drinks.

” Robyn.” Xanthe called.

A girl with platinum blonde hair turned her head and smiled, ” Oh hey guys! What's up?” She said.

” This is Y/N, the leader of the Fang, the girl we were talking about.” Xanthe said, pointing at you.

All the ladies turned their heads and, the girl with Platinum hair stood up, ” Hey Y/N, my name is Robyn Hill.” 

You shook her hand, ” Nice to meet you, Robyn.”

All the other ladies walked towards you and Robyn introduced them, ” Meet my gang.”

” This is May.”

” Hey.”

” Joanna”

” Sup. ”

” And Fiona.”

” Hello!!” Fiona said jumping, she was a Faunus too, you shook all their hands and Fiona hugged you instead, eh you were fine with it since you were more of a hugger so you liked it.

” We're known as the Happy Huntresses.” Robyn said.

” Oh! The Happy Huntresses? When I got arrested someone was talking about you all in the Airship” your memory jogged.

Robyn smiled, ” Yeaa we're pretty popular.” She said and smacked her lips.

” Wait, you were arrested?” Fiona asked.

” Yepp, long story short, General Ironwood bailed me and my friends out and now we work with the General.”

The Happy huntresses widened their eyes, and Robyn chuckled a bit, ” We don't exactly... _ like  _ the Atlas Military.”

You chuckled, ” Believe me, I don't like those rich rats up in Atlas, I never even agreed to working with the Military but the leader of our group decided it was best to help him.”

” Why though?” Joanna asked, ” What is he doing?” 

You didn't trust the Happy Huntresses yet, ” I'm not so sure, but I have a feeling we're gonna have run-ins while I'm working with the military, so we have 1 rule; No telling them I'm the leader of the White Fang, got it?”

They all nodded, ” You can trust us.” Robyn said.

You looked around the bar and it gave you an idea.

” Since we're all working together now, let's all go out, have some fun, as  _ friends.”  _ You suggested.

” That sounds fun, but curfew is in effect, we’ll get arrested if any of the drones or cameras see us” May said.

You smiled, ” Leave that to me.”

Joanna and May exchanged looks then smiled.

” So where are we going?” Robyn asked.

” Well, ” You looked at Samantha and Xanthe, ” There is one place I know..”

* * *

You all walked out the base and headed towards Mantle, you couldn't take the Manta because it would cause attention in Mantle.

” ADA” You called.

Everyone looked at you confused then were startled when they heard a voice come from your scroll. Yeah, you also had ADA in your scroll.

_ ” Welcome back, Y/N, how can I help you?”  _

Everyone was surprised.

” Shut down every drone and security camera in the area for the next 26 metres.”

_ ” Shutting them down now.” _

You looked up and saw that the drones and cameras were being shut down one by one.

You looked at everyone, they were all shocked.

” Where can I buy that?” 

You started bursting out of laughter, ” Well Robyn it was made for me 2 years ago, and you can't BUY it.” You stuck your tongue out at her.

You reached a Faunus Only club in Mantle, which the White Fang owned, it wasn't entirely a club, it played many types of music and had a bar and a mini restaurant inside of it.

” Come on.” You gestured towards the stairs that went underground.

You all walked down the stairs and a Faunus was outside, ” ID- Oh Y/N, You and your friends are free to go in.” the bouncer said.

You smiled at him then you all went into the club, it didn't have tons of different colour lights, just one, it was more of a get-together than a club, it played music and everyone was welcome to dance.

You all walked up to a table and sat down.

” So, Y/N, where are you from?” Robyn asked.

” I grew up in Vale for 13 years, went to Vacuo for 2, Atlas for 3 then Mistral for 1” 

You only went to those kingdoms because of the Fang.

” Wow you're quite the traveller.” Joanna said

” Yeeeaaap”

” Are you old enough to drink?” May asked.

” I’m 19.” 

The Happy Huntresses looked at you smiling wide, they knew you weren't finished.

” But you know what, there's a first time for everything!”

” WOOOO” Everyone cheered.

You walked up to the bar, the Happy Huntresses asked for Mistrals Long Island Iced tea.

Samantha, Xanthe, Zedd and Miko asked for Vale’s Gin.

_ This is my first drink, let's have some fun. _

” Vacuo’s Golden Whiskey,” You said, ” Top shelf for everyone.”

Everyone looked at you in surprise, ” You sure?” The Bartender asked, ” Vacuo’s golden whisk is pretty strong.”

” I'm sure. ”

You gave him your card and the bartender gave you your drinks, you sat back down at the table.

” So, you met the Ace-ops?” Fiona asked.

” Yep.”

” What do you think of them?” 

” Well Harriet seems bossy, but funny and always speaks what's on her mind.” 

Fiona grumbled something at that.

” Elm seems like the stronghold of the team, but a softie on the inside.”

Joanna grumbled at that.

” Marrow is...well I don't know about Marrow.” 

May and Joanna grumbled.

” Vine, He didn't talk much but he seems nice, and calm”

Fiona and Robyn grumbled at that.

” Clover seems cocky, but a very good leader.”

Everyone grumbled at that but Robyn groaned loud.

You started laughing out loud causing the attention of people sitting nearby, ” Okay what do you guys have against the Ace-ops”

Everyone groaned in the club, wow they must hate the Ace-ops.

” Well, ” Robyn started then looked at her team.

” I used to be on a team with Harriet,” Fiona said, ” Ditched me for the Military.”

” I met Elm during our academy days and we became friends, but she also ditched me for the Military.” Joanna said.

” Vine and I just stopped talking, thought he was dead till I found out he was an Ace-op,” Fiona said.

You looked at Robyn, ” We all used to be friends with Clover before he became an Ace-op, I even knew him from before our Academy days. We were on the same team then we decided to go for first-aid after we graduated, after 2 years he just ditched me to become an Ace-op.”

You winced, ” Damn.”

” Yeap” She said, taking a sip from her drink, ” May?” She asked.

You looked at May who just smiled widely. ” Marrow’s just a bitch.” 

” I can agree with you on that.” 

” Oh really?” 

” Yep”

” What beef do you have with Marrow?” Robyn asked.

_ Eh, I guess I can tell them. _

” 1 year before I went to Beacon Academy, me and Marrow were in the White Fang--”

” WHAT ” Fiona yelled and the rest of the Huntresses spit their drinks out.

_ What is it with people spitting their drinks out? _

You sighed, ” Yea, but one day he left without us, ” You gestured towards Samantha and Xanthe, ” We were all trying to sleep until we heard an Airship, I ran outside and found Marrow in it, I thought he was getting kidnapped but he gave me a look of guilt, and then I saw Clover.”

Your face fell as you retold the story, but of course, the Huntresses knew how to make you feel better.

The Happy Huntresses exchanged looks at each other, ” Well, ” Joanna started.

” Now we have another reason to be pissed at the Ace-ops” Fiona Continued.

” And,” Robyn said, ” if we ever run into Marrow.”

” We'll make sure to be bitches towards him, and give him our best ” May finished.

You smiled, ” Thanks.” you said and they all smiled at you in return.

You all raised your glasses, ” To hating Marrow.” Robyn started, ” And to new friendships.” You finished then clicked your drinks together then you all drank.

You felt dizzy after you  _ chugged  _ from your drink then you heard a song come on.

Every Faunus from tables started getting up and headed towards the dance floor, you looked at the Happy Huntresses who were smiling, they knew this song and you did too.

” LET’S GO DANCE!” You yelled and everyone started cheering.

Every Faunus in the world knew this song, ’ _ Faunus Like Me’ _

Everyone started stomping their feet to match the rhythm of the start of the song.

  
  


_ Yeah, you may think that I'm a zero _

_ But, hey, everyone you wanna be _

_ Probably started off like me _

_ You may say that I'm a freak show (I don't care) _

_ But, hey, give it just a little time _

_ I bet you're gonna change your mind _

  
  


_ ” _ WOOOO!” Everyone started cheering and dancing to the song.

  
  


_ All of the dirt you've been throwin' my way _

_ It ain't so hard to take, that's right _

_ 'Cause I know one day you'll be screamin' my name _

_ And I'll just look away, that's right _

  
  


_ Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth _

_ So everyone can hear _

_ Hit me with the words you got and knock me down _

_ Baby, I don't care _

_ Keep it up, I'm tunin' up and figure out _

_ You wanna be _

_ You wanna be _

_ A Faunus like me _

_ A Faunus like me _

  
  


_ Push me up against the locker _

_ And hey, all I do is shake it off _

_ I'll get you back when I'm your boss _

_ I'm not thinkin' 'bout you haters _

_ 'Cause hey, I could be a superstar _

_ I'll see you when you wash my car _

_ All of the dirt you've been throwin' my way _

_ It ain't so hard to take, that's right _

_ 'Cause I know one day you'll be screamin' my name _

_ And I'll just look away, that's right _

_ Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth _

_ So everyone can hear _

_ Hit me with the words you got and knock me down _

_ Baby, I don't care _

_ Keep it up, I'm tunin' up and figure out _

_ You wanna be _

_ You wanna be _

_ A Faunus like me _

_ A Faunus like me _

_ A Faunus like me _

_ Hey, you, over there _

_ Keep the F up-up in the air _

_ Hey, you, over there _

_ Keep the F up, 'cause I don't care _

_ You can throw your sticks, and you can throw your stones _

_ Like a rocket, just watch me go _

_ Yeah, F-a-u-n-u-s _

_ I can only be who I are _

_ Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth _

_ So everyone can hear _

_ Hit me with the words you got and knock me down _

_ Baby, I don't care _

_ Keep it up, I'm tunin' up and figure out _

_ You wanna be _

_ You wanna be _

_ A Faunus like me _

_ Go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth _

_ So everyone can hear _

_ Hit me with the words you got and knock me down _

_ Baby, I don't care _

_ Keep it up, I'm tunin' up and figure out _

_ You wanna be _

_ You wanna be _

_ A Faunus like me (A Faunus like me) _

_ A Faunus like me (A Faunus like me) _

_ A Faunus like me _

  
  
  
  


“ WOOHOOOO!!” Everyone cheered as the song ended.

You all sat back down and drank more, you were totally getting drunk tonight.

* * *

More songs came on and you all danced to them, you even learned more about the Happy Huntresses and that May is upper class and from Atlas.

But as more and more songs came on, the more and more you got drunk.

  
  


By the time you were absolutely drunk out of your mind, it was 6 in the morning.

You got up and danced on the table, then decided to do something stupid.

You were wearing a light pink short dress which you undid from the middle, you had shorts and a bra on under it.

A song ended and you started feeling hot, The Happy Huntresses, Samantha, Xanthe, Miko and Zed were standing by the bar talking to the bartender, who wasn't many years older than you.

You started making a fan motion with your hand.

“ It’s  _ hot  _ in here.” You breathed out and are still on the table.

You started untying your dress.

“ Uh oh.” Robyn said, turning away from the bartender.

“ Oh no..” Sam said.

You started taking off your dress.

“ NO..NO.NO NO NO AH SHIT-” May yelled then winced as your dress was off.

And everyone started cheering.

The bartender sighed, “ I told her.” 

“ LET’S DANCE” You screamed, everyone went towards the dance floor except your friends who were still watching you. You started feeling dizzy and you were about to get off the table until you got a call from someone on your scroll.

“  _ Incoming call from: Qrow Branwen, would you like to answer Y/N?” ADA said. _

“ yEs?”

“  _ Answering call.”  _

After a moment, ADA made a beep and the Happy Huntresses walked over and you made a “ SHH” noise as ADA was answering the call.

“  _ Y/N? Where are you, I just woke up and you're not in the Academy.”  _

“ I am IN MANTLE!” You said calmly then yelled a little.

“ _ What are you doing- is that music? Holy shit Y/N are you drunk?” _

“ Maybeeee….?”

_ “ Don’t do anything stupid, where--” _

“ Says the man who smashed a wine bottle on one of his 9 KIDS.” You yelled.

_ “ Wait what? Okay Y/N where are you, your location is off.”  _

“ OOUH My favourite song is on! Tell jimbo I said heeeeey.”

_ “ Y/N--”  _

“ ADA, disconnect.” 

_ “ Disconnecting call from Qrow Branwen.” Ada said. _

You felt even more dizzy and started walking off the table then at your last step you were half passed out and fell off, someone caught you.

“ Are you a boy princess or a girl princess?” You asked and whoever caught you wasn't responding.

You laughed a little, “you smell nice.” You said then passed out.

* * *

You woke up in a room with 2 beds, your stomach and head hurt like crazy.

“ RISE AND SHINE!” Someone yelled and removed curtains from a window and the Atlas sky and snow was shining.

“ Close the window” you mumbled.

_ Wait _

You quickly shot up from the bed, you were wearing a long white shirt and it was NOT yours.

You looked to your right and saw Robyn, Samantha and Xanthe.

“ You guys?” You called.

“ Good afternoon sleepyhead.” Xanthe said.

“ Brothers I feel like a bunch of Goliaths stomped on me.” You explained and everyone else chuckled a bit.

“ What happened?” You asked.

“ You stripped on a table then passed out while walking off a table, Joanna caught you in time.” Robyn responded.

“ Where are the others?” You asked.

“ Getting lunch.” Samantha said.

“ Oh.”

_ Wait…lunch? _

“ What time is it?” You asked.

“ Almost 3pm,” Xanthe said.

You widen your eyes then looked around, you were NOT in Atlas Academy.

“ Where’s my scroll?!” You asked, almost yelling, then Robyn threw something at your head.

You winced and deadpanned at her and she smirked.

You looked at your scroll and- holy shit.

_ 678 messages _

Most were from the group chat you had with the others.

Other messages were from people you had no idea that they even had your number.

  
  


_ 2 From Marrow. _

_ 1 from Clover _

_ 3 From Jimbo _

_ 1 From Pietro. _

_ 4 From Maria _

  
  


_ Then you looked at Missed calls. _

  
  


_ 7 Missed calls from Qrow branwen. _

_ 4 Missed calls from Nora Valkyrie. _

_ 2 missed calls from Blake Belladonna. _

_ 1 missed call from Jimbo. _

“ Fuck.” You breathed out.

“ ADA Check my voicemail.”

“  _ Welcome back, Y/N, You have 3 voice messages from Qrow Branwen and 1 from Jimbo.” _

“ What do they say?”

ADA made a beep then Qrow’s voice was on your scroll.

“ _ Y/N, Where are you?” _

_ That was the first. _

_ “ Y/N, I’m serious, where in the world are you.” _

_ That was the second. _

_ “ Y/N, IT’S ALMOST 10AM WHERE IN THE WORLD OF REMNANT ARE YOU!”  _

You winced as you listened to the third from his yelling, ADA made a beep then James voice was on your scroll.

_ “ Y/N, Qrow just informed me of your disappearance, where are you?” _

“SHIT!” You yelled and got up from the bed, using your semblance to change into a pair of white-jeans and a cropped light pink hoodie.

Robyn, Samantha, and Xanthe watched you run out of the room since they heard the voices from your scroll.

You ran out of the room then realized you still needed your file.

“ Xanthe, where’s my fake file? “ You asked.

Xanthe started looking through her desk drawers and there were 5 files, one with her name, Zedd, Miko, Samantha and you.

She grabbed yours and gave it to you and you ran out of the base yelling bye to everyone on your way out.

You looked outside but the Manta was gone.

_ PIETRO! _

You ran into Mantle looking at your file on the way.

Your face fell as you looked at it, you saw your parents name on it.

Zane L/N and Hailee L/N.

You quickly looked at guardians to make sure it didn't say Ghira Belladonna.

You made a sigh of relief when you read your guardian's name, Xanthe Renalds and Samantha Irwenic.

You ran to Pietro’s pharmacy and made a LOUD sigh of relief when you saw Maria and Pietro.

“ Y/N? Where have you been? The others were calling me about your disappearance.” Pietro said.

“ It’s a long story, how long until you head up to Atlas?” You asked.

“ Me and Maria are leaving right now.”

You followed Maria and Pietro into a Manta behind his pharmacy.

_ Fuck, I am in some deep shit. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song is called Loser like me by Glee Cast


	18. 6:48am

6:48am

* * *

_Birb man: Guys._

_ThunderBolt: Why are we talking on our scrolls?_

_Birb man: because the Ace-ops are sleeping._

_Bookworm: They should wake up soon._

_Thunderbolt: Wait, I fell asleep on Y/N’s lap but she’s not here, where is she?_

_Birb man: That’s what I’m trying to say, she’s gone._

_Firecracker: what do you mean gone?_

_Birb man: I called her a few times but she didn’t answer, she’s somewhere down in Mantle though._

_Crater Face: Y/N probably uhm_

_Crater Face: yea i don’t know why she would be down in Mantle._

_Birb man: Who doesn’t have an Ace-op or anyone sleeping on them?_

_Firecracker: Me, Nora and Weiss._

_Thunderbolt: is Weiss even awake?_

_Ice princess: I am now._

_Vomit boy: Maybe the Ace-ops know where she went?_

_Birb man: Maybe, but I doubt it._

_Crater Face: what about Marrow? They seem to know each other, maybe he knows._

_Bookworm: He’s awake, I’ll add him to the gc._

_( Bookworm added Marrow Amin to the Thread)_

_Marrow Amin: Why are you all talking to each other on your scrolls?_

_Firecracker: we don’t wanna wake anyone else up._

_Farm Boy: I’m up now._

_Crater face: Oops! Sorry Oscar!_

_Farm Boy: It’s fine :)_

_Firecracker: There’s broken glass on the table._

_Marrow Amin: So?_

_Firecracker: Oh wait yeaa, you don’t know what Y/N’s semblance is._

_Marrow Amin: What’s her semblance?_

_Bookworm: She hasn’t told us every aspect of it, but it’s related to glass._

_Vomit Boy: Almost her entire semblance is related to glass._

_Marrow Amin: Wait I don’t know who’s who in this gc._

_Crater Face: Everyone state your name._

_Crater Face: Ruby_

_Ice princess: Weiss_

_Bookworm: Blake_

_Firecracker: Yang_

_Vomit Boy: Jaune_

_Thunderbolt: Nora_

_Farm Boy: Oscar_

_Birb man: Qrow_

_Thunderbolt: Ninja is Ren and Barbie is Y/N._

_Marrow Amin: Is Ren sleeping..?_

_Thunderbolt: No he’s meditating._

_Crater Face: Marrow, do you know where Y/N is._

_Marrow Amin: No, sorry, maybe Harriet or Clover know._

_Birb man: Oh wow everyone is awake now._

_Marrow Amin: I’ll add the rest of the Ace-ops._

_( Marrow Amin added Clover Ebi, Harriet Bree, Elm Ederne, and Vine Zeki, to the Thread)_

_Clover: Why are we talking on our scrolls?_

_Birb man: James is sleeping and Ren is meditating._

_Ice princess: Qrow look beside you._

_Birb man: nvm he’s awake._

_( Birb man added James ironwood to the Thread)_

_James: Why are we talking on our scrolls?_

_Thunderbolt: Ren is meditating._

_Thunderbolt: Oh wow Vine is too._

_Harriet: WOOHOO NICKNAME TIME BABY._

_( Harriet Changed Her Nickname to Gotta Go Fast)_

_( Elm Changed Her Nickname to Hammer Time)_

_( Clover Changed His Nickname to Lucky-charm )_

_Birb man: what kind of nickname is that_

_Lucky-charm: ;)_

_Firecracker: OH SHOOT HE WINKED_

_Bookworm: Let’s focus on the topic people._

_Gotta Go Fast: Which is..?_

_Vomit Boy: Y/N is missing._

_Gotta Go Fast: Oh shit ya, she fell asleep on my shoulder how did I not notice she was gone-_

_Crater Face: LANGUAGE_

_Vomit Boy: LANGUAGE_

_Thunderbolt: LANGUAGE_

_Lucky-Charm: LANGUAGE_

_Bookworm: LANGUAGE_

_ThunderBolt: WE HAVE A 13-YEAR-OLD BOY HERE._

_Farm Boy: Nora, I’m 14._

_ThunderBolt: Oh wow really?_

_Farm Boy: Yea, Ruby said it back on our way to Atlas._

_Bookworm: FOCUS PEOPLE_

_( Barbie Changed James Nickname to General Ironbitch)_

_Jimbo: Very mature._

_Firecracker: Y/N!_

_( Birb man Changed General Ironbitch Nickname to Jimbo.)_

_Vomit Boy: Where are you?!_

_Crater Face: Hello??_

_Farm Boy: General can you try tracking her scroll?_

_Crater Face: Guy’s maybe she just went to visit uhh family?_

_Marrow Amin: Y/N doesn't have a family?_

_Bookworm: What do you mean?_

_Ninja: Yea? Y/N told us all about her family on the way here._

_Marrow Amin: Oh uh I got confused with someone else._

_Lucky-charm: Wow nice save._

_Birb man: Wow, boy scout has sass._

_Jimbo: Qrow._

_Vine: Y/N seems capable of being able to take care of herself, let's just wait a bit for now._

_Birb man: Okay, let's all just have breakfast then I can go see that penthouse the Ace-ops live in._

* * *

_12:36_

* * *

_Bookworm: @Barbie, it's been 6 hours._

_Crater Face; I'll see if Penny can find her._

_( Crater Face added Penny Polendina to the Thread)_

_Penny: Salutations!_

_Crater Face: Penny!_

_Marrow Amin: Hey Penny._

_( Birb man changed Penny’s Nickname to Nickels)_

_Nickels: Qrow, my name is Penny._

_Birb man; I know, it's just a nickname, I would have done dimes but that uh seems a little bit offensive._

_Nickels: Nickname?_

_Crater Face: instead of your real name someone makes a nickname for you that's related to your personality or well anything Ig._

_Nickels: Oh!_

_Vomit Boy: Penny, while you're on patrol can you try finding Y/N in Mantle?_

_Nickels: What happened to her?_

_Crater Face: She disappeared_

_Nickels: Oh so she pulled a Blake._

_Bookworm: Uhm_

_Firecracker: WOOHOO PENNY! YOU USED IT CORRECTLY._

_Nickels: Yay!_

_Bookworm: Excuse me?_

_Marrow Amin: What is pulling a Blake?_

_Hammer Time: Yea uh what._

_Bookworm: You guys seriously did that_

_Crater Face: Yepp_

_Ice Princess: Back at Beacon when we found out Blake was in the White Fang and a Faunus she sort of disappeared then after the Fall of Beacon she ran away and disappeared._

_Lucky-charm: oh_

_Firecracker: Yeaaah_

_Bookworm: Sigh_

_Gotta Go Fast: Did she just?_

_Vomit Boy: Yep_

_Gotta Go Fast: Okay…_

_Carter Face: How’s the penthouse Uncle Qrow?_

_Birb man: Awesome, it's so luxurious._

_Ice Princess: What's it like?_

_Birb man: okay there's like 8 gigantic rooms, I don't have to share a room, and it has a gigantic kitchen but for some reason there's no food and there is a MECHANICAL FIREPLACE_

_Firecracker: MECHANICAL?!_

_Birb man: YES_

_Ice Princess: Have you guys never had a mechanical fireplace before?_

_Crater Face: Weiss we weren't rich like you._

_Bookworm: I don't anymore, I burned down my childhood home after the Fall of Beacon._

_Ice Princess: Ooh that sounds fun_

_Crater Face: Weiss-_

_Ice Princess: I don't regret what I said._

_( Jimbo added Winter Schnee to the Thread)_

_Jimbo: Everyone, meet in the penthouse, we are going to discuss where Y/N could have gone._

_( Birb man changed Winter’s Nickname to Ice Queen.)_

_Ice Queen: Wow, very mature._

* * *

_1:57pm_

* * *

_( Marrow Amin started a Thread with you)_

_Marrow Amin: Y/N?!_

_Marrow Amin: I swear if you just disappeared because of me your teammates will kill me._

* * *

_2:00_

* * *

_( Clover started a thread with you)_

_Clover: Y/N where are you?_

* * *

_2:05_

* * *

_( Maria started a thread with you)_

_Maria: GET_

_Maria: UP_

_Maria: TO_

_Maria: ATLAS_

* * *

_2:07pm_

* * *

_( Pietro started a thread with you)_

_Pietro: Y/N? Penny just told me about your disappearance, don't tell me your doing stupid stuff again._

* * *

_2:11_

* * *

_( Jimbo started a thread with you)_

_Jimbo: Y/N_

_Jimbo: where are you_

_Jimbo: okay where in the world are you where I can't track your scroll._

* * *

_2:36_

* * *

_Hammer Time: Okay is she dead_

_Carter Face: NO_

_Birb man: I called her 7 times and no answer._

_Jimbo: I hope you all have your upgrades listed, Pietro is on his way right now_

* * *

  
  


You winced as you read every message.

_Fuck_

You looked and saw a new group chat was made.

With Fiona Thyme, May Marigold, Joanna Greenleaf, Robyn Hill, Samantha Irwenic, Xanthe Renalds, Zedd Ray and Miko Peach.

* * *

2:40

* * *

_You: Robyn_

_Robyn: LOL Yes?_

_You: You had my scroll while I was passed out right._

_Robyn: No…_

_May: She did_

_Robyn: Snitch_

_You: Did you change the General's name to General Ironbitch?_

_Robyn: Yeeees_

_You: Welp_

_(Robyn Hill changed her nickname to Lie Detector)_

_You: I'm almost up to Atlas, I'll text you all later._

* * *

_2:44_

* * *

_Jimbo: Guess who just came with Maria and Pietro?_

* * *

  
You smiled in embarrassment as you walked out the Manta and looked at James who had his usual expression but there was something about it that made him look... _angry._

“ Heeey, James…” You squeaked as you walked towards him.

James seemed mad, but he made a sigh of relief to see you and his face softened.

He turned towards the Academy and nodded then he started walking to it, You, Pietro and Maria following.

“ I added something to your scroll so you can have access to the penthouse.” James said as you all walked into the academy.

You felt sick, your head hurt like crazy, no matter how many good thoughts you had you still felt like you needed to barf.

You walked into the Academy, “ Have you thought of your upgrades Y/N?” Pietro asked.

Nope.

“ No, I haven’t yet. I don't even think I need an upgrade.” You said. You looked at the side of your hip and looked at Hush, you had 2 belts on your jeans, one that went straight and the other sideways so it could hold Hush.

“ Whatever you say.” 

Pietro and Maria went into another area and James pointed towards an elevator which had a screen at the side.

“ Put your scroll in front of the screen then the elevator should open “ James said then he went back to Pietro and Maria.

You walked up to the closed elevator, you took out your scroll and placed the screen in front of the device, it made a beep then the device’s screen turned green and the elevator doors opened.

You walked in and the doors quickly closed and the elevator started going up, and up, and up and up.

You get what I mean.

The more and more it went up, the more and more you felt sick.

The Elevator door beeped and you walked into a GIGANTIC Penthouse.

There was a kitchen at the side, counters made of marble, There was also a living room in the middle, 2 couches and 2 sofa chairs and there was also a TV on top of a mechanical fireplace, there were 10 doors, on each side of the penthouse there were 5 doors on the wall and each had a name on them and the same device that was by the elevator.

On one side was: Clover, Qrow, Elm, and Vine, guess the 5th room was a bathroom.

The other side was: You, Marrow, Winter, and Harriet then the bathroom.

You walked further in and looked at the living room, all the Ace-ops were sitting down, well most of them.

Clover was pacing around and looking at his scroll, Qrow was sitting and also looking at his scroll but he seemed stressed.

Harriet and Elm were just eating chips, Harriet trying to find a movie on the TV.

Vine was meditating, as usual.

“Uhm, Guys?” You called, everyone quickly turned their heads and widened their eyes when they saw you.

“ _WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!?!”_ They all screamed at the same time.

“ I-” You started but then your stomach felt horrible, and everyone looked at you confused, your hand on your stomach and you just wanted to fall to the floor.

“ Y/N?” Vine called, “Are you okay?”

You started feeling dizzy then looked at the rooms and saw the bathroom door opened, no one in it.

You quickly ran towards it.

You ledged over the toilet and started puking, your head hurt like crazy.

_A hangover._

_While you_ were puking, you were embarrassed a little bit but also felt bad.

Not just for them stressing over where you could have gone from the last like 12 hours.

Qrow was trying to stop drinking and you basically just helped him by getting drunk.

_crap._


	19. Aspirin

” Thanks..” You breathed out, your throat still a little sore from all the puking.

5 minutes ago you were puking like crazy in the bathroom, now you were sitting on one of the sofa chairs in the living room.

Qrow handed you some Aspirin to help with the headache and some medicine for your stomach.

” No problem.” He responded and smiled at you.

Qrow was the only one who knew how to deal with hangovers, well actually the other Ace-ops did, except Marrow, but they never had a drinking problem like Qrow.

You looked at the coffee table in front of you, your scroll was on it and with a water bottle beside it.

You were about to grab your scroll until Qrow grabbed it

“ Hey!” You cried. He started throwing it up in the air.

“ QROW!”

You were afraid he would have dropped it because of his semblan- No, not his semblance, you knew better than to comment on his semblance or anything, and everyone else except the Ace-ops did too. Qrow had always thought anything that went wrong around him was because of him, his semblance, misfortune, but he needs to understand that bad things just happen sometimes.

“ Maybe I should keep this, as your punishment for telling NO ONE where you were going and getting drunk “

“ Qrow Branwen”

“ Did you just full name me?”

“ I swear if you don’t give me back my scroll-” You didn’t actually know what you were gonna do if he didn’t give it back.

He smiled, “ You’ll what?” 

You looked at your scroll to see if it was on then looked at the Ace-ops who were sitting in the living room.

You smiled, “ ADA” You called.

He looked at you confused then was startled to hear a voice coming from your scroll.

“ _Welcome back, Y/N, how can I help you?”_

“ Shock my scroll “

Qrow winced in pain as your scroll shocked him with electricity dust, he dropped your scroll then you quickly got up and grabbed it before he could.

“ Oh fuck you.” He said and some of the Ace-ops were laughing, other then Clover who yelled “ LANGUAGE”

You looked at Marrow who was also laughing, you haven’t seen that laugh in 4 years, it-it felt heartwarming to see him like this, it even made you think if he ever missed you, if he ever thought about you since the day he left. What was he thinking when he saw you for the first time after 4 years? Did he know it was you when he arrested you?

You quickly shoved your thoughts away when the elevator door opened and you saw James, he walked into the penthouse while fixing his tie, he had bags under his eyes, was yesterday the only time he ever got to sleep a full 9 hours? 

He had the same expression as always, though his face softened when he saw friends or people he trusts.

You looked at Qrow who had a hand on his stomach, he hasn't had a drink in 36 hours, he’ll end up puking stomach acid in a bit, he grabbed the water bottle and started drinking from it.

_That was my water.._

You pouted.

You looked at James who also noticed, Qrow didn't tell the Ace-ops or James that he used to be an addict or he had now stopped.

You looked to James right and saw Winter who had her hands behind her back and they soon went to the side, she looked at you and her face softened, “ How are you feeling Y/N?” She asked. You smiled, “ Better, thanks for asking.” 

Harriet groaned out loud and you looked at her, “ There are no good movies.” She complained, You knew how to solve that.

“ ADA Name a list of every good movie.” 

_“ Genre?” ADA responded._

God ADA was the best robot thing you could ever ask for.

You looked at everyone and raised your eyebrows, hopefully they knew what you were trying to say, and they did.

“ MOVIE NIGHT!” Elm screamed and you were startled by her amount of energy.

“ WAIT!” You yelled and Elm stopped moving.

“ How about we wait until it's actually night? And when we have food?” You suggested. You looked at the kitchen, Qrow wasn’t wrong; it had like no food, other than coupons for places like Vacuo’s Home or Fro-yo-Atlas.

Everyone shrugged then agreed, you took your scroll out and went to a group chat called team FNKI.

* * *

  
You: We still up for rollerblading?

Neon: Y/N! Your back!

Flynt: Where’d you go? the General was running around the entire school this morning looking for you.

Ivori: Now the whole school knows about the girl who disappeared and someone thought you were his daughter-

* * *

You started bursting out loud and even started snorting at how SOMEONE THOUGHT YOU WERE THE GENERALS DAUGHTER, You forgot about everyone else in the room for a few seconds then once you calmed down you looked up from your scroll and everyone was staring at you.

Still laughing, you tried to talk, “ Oh, sorry” You breathed out, still laughing a little, Clover was reading a book so you decided to go into your room.

You walked up to a door that had a screen on the side, asking for a password.

” Uhm..?” You were confused then looked at Clover.

” Password of your scroll.”

” Oh, thanks.”

You typed in your password which was _CFVY._

You walked into a room, ” Wow..” You breathed out, you took in the sight of a large room, A circular round bed in the corner with pink and white blankets, a table in the other corner and a fireplace with a TV on top of it.

You closed the door and soon ran to jump onto the bed.

_This is sooooooo much better than a couch_

After a few minutes of getting used to the bed, you took out your scroll and went back to the group chat.

* * *

_You: THEY THOUGHT I WAS HIS DAUGHTER?!_

_Neon: OMG SOMEONE EVEN POSTED IT ON THE GOSSIP SITE_

_You: HAHA_

_Kobalt: So where_ did _you go Y/N?_

_You: Went dancing with Samantha and Xanthe, and then I got drunk._

_Neon: Oh Wow and you didn't even invite US?_

_You: NEXT TIME! I PROMISE_

_Ivori: You sure u up for rollerblading? Don't you have a hangover?_

_Kobalt: Yea are you sure?_

_YouI Of course I am! I took medication, and where are we even going?_

_Neon: My mom owns a rollerblading rink in Atlas, it's closed right now so she gave me the keys so we can go there._

_You: Aight when are we leaving._

_Flynt: Honestly we were waiting for you._

_You: Oh shit, give me 5 minutes._

* * *

You quickly got up and thought of an outfit you could wear.

1 aspect of your semblance was that you could only change Into clothes you've worn before, not just any you've seen.

You snapped your fingers as you thought of the outfit.

You activated your semblance and looked in the mirror as pink and white started shimmering over your body.

You wore a Half Zip Holographic Metallic Crop Jacket that showed part of your stomach-you were a crop top person-and had black jeans and a black belt with a silver jewel in the middle.

Part of your lower back was shown which had some bruises, but whenever people asked about them you just told them you lived in Vacuo for 3 years and they immediately backed off.

Vacuo was a kingdom that welcomed all kinds, Faunus or not, Rich or not.

Though Vacuans didn't trust outsiders. if you were to ever visit Vacuo you never told anyone where you came from. ( Unless you were originally from Vacuo)

As long as you can survive in Vacuo, you are welcomed there.

And that rule exists because Vacuo is one of the most dangerous kingdoms in the world of Remnant.

You used your semblance and looked at the mirror again to see pink and white shimmering over your feet.

You had impala quad skates, the laces were white and the leather was pink.

You opened the door of your room to find all the Ace-ops, Qrow, Winter and the General sitting and talking.

” Hey ” You called, skating on the smooth wooden floor towards the living room, making sure not to go on the carpets.

” Hey Y/N.” Everyone said. you were behind a couch where Winter and James were sitting, and rested your elbows on the headrest.

There was a minute of silence and you were confused.

While you were texting team FNKI you swear you heard them all talking.

You decided to finally speak up, ” Well I'm going out, I'll be back at...I honestly don't know what time I'll be back at” You said as you looked at the clock on the wall.

You started skating towards the door and stopped as you passed the couch Harriet and Elm were sitting on when James spoke up, ” And where, do you think you're going?” He asked.

” You're acting as if you're my dad.” You couldn't even say the words properly as you started laughing half-way through the sentence.

You were behind the couch Harriet and Elm we're sitting on.

” Why does she laugh when she says that..?” James asked.

Harriet chirped up and started laughing, ” OH I know why” 

You looked at Harriet’s scroll and saw her on a site called ’ _Atlas Academy Gossip’._ Looks like Harriet has a thing for gossip.

You saw her reading a post about James trying to find where you were this morning and the possibility of him being your dad.

You started bursting out with laughter as you read it and so did Harriet, Elm looked over her shoulder and started laughing too, everyone else in the room confused.

Qrow pulled out his scroll and started WHEEZING.

” Well ” You started, skating towards the door, ” I'll be back later, BYEEE” and like that you went into the elevator and the doors closed.

You pulled out your scroll and told Team FNKI you were on your way.

* * *

After a while the elevator doors soon opened and you headed for the Academy doors, Team FNKI already there, they turned their heads and waved at you as you skated over towards them.

“ Nice blades” Flynt complimented, you smiled at him in return.

“ Let’s go!” Ivori yelled and you all walked out of the Academy and started walking- well skating actually- on the _luxurious_ streets of Atlas.

Somehow they still managed to make roads and street lights look shiny and gorgeous.

Your scroll beeped but you couldn’t take it out because you would probably end up skating into someone if you looked at your scroll.

You let FNKI go in front of you so you can see who messaged you.

“ ADA” You called.

“ _Welcome back, Y/N, how can I help you?”_

“ Can I call you ADS? like a nickname?”

_“ Of course.”_

“ Okay ADS, who messaged me?” 

_“ 1 Message from Marrow Amin.”_

Sometimes even for a second you forgot that Marrow was here. you didn't know how you forgot each time when he was the person you've been trying to find for 4 years.

You didn't know how you were just... _calm._

Your boyfriend- no EX- because you are NOT in love with Marrow Amin, the person who left you for some ATLESIAN 4 YEARS AGO!

Your anger was filling, no actually you were boiling, you wanted to find Marrow to kill him but now you just don’t know anymore, he seems so happy, I mean Atlas may be one of the most Faunus-hated kingdoms in the world but he somehow managed to stay happy. He’s a Faunus in Atlas, and an Ace-op too, he’s got everything he could ever want and more.

You quickly remembered the message and made sure there were no upcoming roads, you took out your scroll and read the

message.

* * *

Marrow: We need to talk.

...

You: About what?

...

Marrow: Y/N, you know what.

…

You: Nah, go into details about it.

…

Marrow: Omg Y/N

…

Marrow: how can you just be calm abt this?

* * *

  
  


You looked up from your scroll.

He’s right...how are you so calm about this?

Then it came to you.

You weren't calm, you were angry, you just didn't wanna make a scene in front of everyone and just like KILL Marrow in front of everyone.

* * *

You: I AM Angry, did you really think I was so calm when I saw you after 4 YEARS? I don’t really know what you want to talk about Marrow, there IS nothing to talk about, you made that very clear when you left with Clover.

…

Marrow: Please, just when you come back let’s just talk.

…

Marrow: Y/N? Are you there?

…

You: I’m busy.

* * *

  
You quickly shut off your scroll and caught up to team FNKI.

_Hopefully rollerblading can calm me down._

* * *

  
After about a 15 minute walk- no rollerblading down the streets of Atlas- you finally got to the roller rink.

It was a pretty big place, called ‘ Katts Roll’ 

You went inside and it was dark, you couldn’t see anything other than Neon who could literally see in the dark.

“ Lights?” You asked.

You heard her rollerblades go across a wooden floor and after a few seconds you flinched at how bright the place illuminated.

Soon instead of 1 color light, there were multiple, Pink, green, purple and blue.

There was a large wooden rink in the middle of the area, a lot of people must have come here if it was that BIG.

The place was more of a retro-themed roller rink, it had a jukebox, and it was kinda like an olden time diner, which you guessed the waiters and waitresses also used rollerblades to deliver food.

“WOO!” Neon cheered and headed towards the Jukebox and it played a song, which was number 1.

You sighed, you knew this song, _Neon._

“ Come on!!” She yelled, Ivori, Flynt and Kobalt already in the rink having some fun, Neon grabbed your hands and pulled you into the rink, you wobbled a bit, she was way better at rollerblading then you, well you were good it was just that she was FASTER.

She let go of your hands and started spinning around and around.

It was like she had some sort of Choreography to this song.

You laughed and even started having some fun yourself, freestyle and even started doing small dances to the song.

  
  


_We're all born with a dream_

_We wanna make come true_

_The best will climb to the top like me_

_The rest will end up like you_

“ YOUUU” Everyone sang to the song, you all laughed at it.

  
  


_bet it's hard to live with_

_Knowing that you'll never be this fine_

_Don't be distraught, don't be sad_

_You gave it your best try_

_“ YOUR BEST TRYYYY”_ Everyone sang, louder than before, still laughing.

You knew they were gonna be way louder at the next part and you're gonna sing along.

_Listen, girlfriend, can't you see?_

_I'm all of the things that you'll never be_

_I'm cool like the rain and I'm hot like the sun_

_I'm a neon rainbow and you're no fun_

_“ AND YOU’RE NO FUN” Instead of singing, everyone screamed at that part._

_I should definitely teach team RWBY and JNOR how to rollerblade, especially Oscar and Jaune._

* * *

  
After about 2 hours you all went out to eat food, you checked the time on your scroll and ignored the few messages from the group chat, you knew they were probably about everyone being stupid or just move night.

_MOVIE NIGHT!_

You looked at the time and it was 7:48, you and team FNKI were watching the sunset.

_I guess I could stay a little longer._

You SOMEHOW all found an area with grass, it was an empty area where you could watch the sunset.

You laid your back on the grass.

“ This is all I want in my life.” You mumbled, you were pretty cold but for once you weren’t fighting Grimm.

“ I think that’s pretty impossible since you're the leader of the Fang.” Flynt commented trying to get the spit out of his trumpet.

Which he accomplished but half of it got all over his face.

“ Oh come on!” He complained and everyone else started laughing.

“ So, are you ready? For a whole new life?” Ivori asked.

You snorted, “ You say that as if I threw my life away.”

There was a moment of silence then you sat up, looking at everyone who was just looking at the sunset.

You were stunned, “ Do...do you think I threw my life away?” You asked, becoming the leader of the Fang was so you could come back to your family and help with the Faunus, you didn’t expect to see it as ‘Throwing your life away’

Kobalt spoke up, “ We don’t mean it as if your entire life is gone, it’s just that your friends, the ones who don’t know that you were in the White Fang, like RWBY or JNR. And now you might not even have enough time as a huntress in training.” 

Neon elbowed him, “ Don’t say that!” She said and Kobalt put his hand over where she elbowed him.

She put a hand on your shoulder, “ Being the leader of the Fang takes lots of work, and with all of that, you might even forget your friends, maybe even forget _us.”_

You smiled and your face softened, they didn’t think you made a mistake, they just didn’t want you to forget them.

“ I will never forget you Neon.” You said then looked at everyone else, “ And all of you.” 

She hugged you in return.

People thought Neon was an annoying person but on the inside she was sensitive, after losing her dad and in a way her mom, she had no one, her little sister was too young at the time to understand anything.

Her dad cheated on her mom when she was 9, her dad left and her mom was just _broken._

Her little sister was 5 years old. Her mom ended up having a drinking problem after that, she never left her room, Neon had to do everything herself, she wasn’t old enough for a job, wasn’t even old enough to cook a full meal yet.

But she still did it, for her sister, then after a while she dedicated her life to becoming a huntress.

Her dad died about 2 years ago, after the Fall of Beacon, her and team FNKI all went to her dad’s funeral, except her sister.

Since Atlas borders are closed, her sister couldn’t come to the funeral.

Her sister is a Huntress in Training.

She’s 15 now, training at Oscuro Academy in Vacuo.

You checked the time and saw that it was now 8, the sky quickly turning dark.

“ We should head back to the academy.” You said.

Everyone nodded and got up and started walking to the Academy then stopped midway.

“ Actually you guys go ahead, It’s movie night and I should get snacks.”

They shrugged and nodded. You found a convenience store soon after and pulled out your scroll to message the group chat.

* * *

  
_Barbie: Snacks for movie night?_

_Hammer Time: YES_

_Thunderbolt: Brownies_

_Crater Face: Cookies_

_Vomit Boy: Popcorn, duh._

_Gotta Go Fast: DRINKS DRINKS DRINKS, COKE COKE COKE._

_Marrow: WOOOOOO_

_Barbie: What Genre should we watch?_

_Gotta Go Fast: uhh_

_Hammer Time: I honestly don’t know._

_Birb man: HORROR MOVIES_

_Barbie: YES_

_Crater Face: Oh brothers._

_Farm Boy: what’s a movie?_

_Firecracker: Oscar_

_Bookworm: Are you-_

_Ice princess: Your Joking right?_

_Farm Boy: No…_

_Barbie: OH MY GOD_

_Vomit Boy: WE’RE WATCHING EVERY SINGLE GENRE OF MOVIE TONIGHT_

_Vine: As much as I think we should get lots of sleep due to our mission tomorrow, I have to agree, if Oscar has never watched a movie then WE ARE WATCHING ALL OF THEM._

_Lucky-Charm: WOOO VINE!_

_Barbie: WOOHOOO_

_Birb man: @Jimbo @Ice queen, you guys coming for movie night?_

_Ice queen: I suppose so._

_Jimbo: Yep._

_Barbie: Wait, we have a mission tomorrow?_

_Lucky-Charm: Yea._

_Barbie: But what about everyone’s weapons?_

_Jimbo: With Maria’s help, Pietro was able to finish the upgrades._

_Crater Face: AAAA_

_Thunderbolt: WOOOOOOO_

_Barbie: OKAY SAY THE SNACKS AGAIN SO I DON’T FORGET_

_Crater Face: Cookies_

_Vomit Boy: Popcorn_

_Thunderbolt: Brownies_

_Gotta Go Fast: COKE COKE COKE COKE._

_Lucky-Charm: Twizzlers._

_Bookworm: Chips._

_Barbie: Should we order pizza?_

_Hammer Time: Already calling them._

_Barbie: I’ll pay and pick it up, I’m already in Atlas._

_Birb man: Bold of you all to assume she has the money for everything._

_Barbie: Bold of you to assume I DON’T have the money._

_Barbie: IGHT, Is that everything?_

_Barbie: Yang? Weiss? Oscar? Ren? Marrow? Do you guys want anything?_

_Firecracker: Honestly everyone already said everything._

_Barbie: Ight, I'll be at the Academy in 25 minutes, get the common room ready and bring a bunch of blankets and pillows because we need to fit EVERYONE in the room._

_Gotta Go Fast: We can already fit everyone._

_Barbie: True._

_Hammer Time: But the teachers' common room was missing a sofa chair so they took ours and we have a new person with us, plus we were all squished together the last time we sat in there._

_Gotta Go Fast: Oh yeaa_

_Lucky-Charm: Y/N What was that thing you had on your scroll to find movie Genre’s?_

_Barbie: Something called ADA, which is only on MY Scroll, so I’m gonna trust one of you._

_Barbie: I didn’t finish my sentence, I accidentally sent it._

_Firecracker: why don’t we go ahead and_ RENT _it_

_Marrow: God why did you_ SEND _it_

_Lucky-Charm: because she_ MEANT _it_

_Birb man: STOP_

_Bookworm: NO RHYMING GAMES PLEASE._

_Crater Face: OH MY GODS PENNY HAVE U EVER WATCHED A MOVIE?_

_Nickels: Nope!_

_Gotta Go Fast: OH MY GODS, PIETRO WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO YOUR DAUGHTER._

_Pietro: SHE WAS JUST REBUILT_

_Maria: THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU DON'T LET YOUR CHILD WATCH A MOVIE_

_Pietro: IT NEVER CAME TO THOUGHT._

_Crater Face: MARIA, PIETRO AND PENNY YOUR JOINING US FOR MOVIE NIGHT._

_Maria: Bold of you to assume I wasn't gonna come watch with you all already_

_Barbie:TO FINISH MY SENTENCE, the thing on my scroll is an Accessibility dialogue assistant. I can add it to ONE of your scrolls then remove it when you find a movie._

_Gotta Go Fast: Who?_

_Barbie: I choose...Jaune._

_Vomit Boy: WOO_

_Barbie: Ight Ill get the snacks, text me when you find a movie._

* * *

You got off the groupchat and turned on ADA.

“ ADS” You called.

_“ Welcome back, Y/N, how can I help you?”_

“ Add yourself to Vomit Boy’s scroll.”

_“ Vomit Boy: Also known as Jaune Arc, are you sure Y/N?”_

“ Yep”

_“ Adding now.”_

You walked through the convenience store for about 5 minutes and got all the snacks and drinks everyone asked for, you paid for them then checked the Group chat.

* * *

_Vomit Boy: Y/N THIS IS SO COOL._

_Barbie: IKR_

_Crater Face: How’d you even get this?_

_Barbie: ADA, is an accessibility dialogue assistant that was made for me, she used to be just normal until me, Velvet and Fox added a few tweaks to her._

_Vomit Boy: We found some movies._

_Barbie: Removing ADA Now._

_Crater Face: we should definitely use ADA on missions._

_Barbie: I was actually thinking of doing that, if we ever get lost or just need someone to drive, we got ADS._

_Bookworm: ADS?_

_Barbie: Her nickname._

_Barbie: @Hammer Time, Pizza place?_

_Hammer Time: Vacuo’s Known Spice_

_Barbie: Why the hell would they name it Vacuo’s Known Spice, VACUO’S ACTUAL SPICE IS LITERALLY SAND_

_Hammer Time: I DON’T KNOW BUT IT’S GOOD PIZZA_

* * *

  
You laughed a little.

“ ADA Remove yourself from Jaune’s scroll”

_“ Removing now.”_

You went to the pizza place, got the pizza and paid then told everyone you were on your way.

* * *

  
_Barbie: omw_

_Crater Face: MOVIE NIGHT!_

_Barbie: IS THE COMMON ROOM SET UP?  
  
_

_Lucky-charm: YES_

_Barbie: IGHT EVERYONE CALL DIBS ON A SPOT, MARIA GETS A SOFA CHAIR CUZ SHE’S OLD._

_Maria: wow._

_( Barbie changed Maria’s nickname to The Grimm Reaper)_

_The Grimm Reaper: ah_

_Gotta Go Fast: Why the Grimm Reaper?_

_Barbie: cUZ she was the Grimm Reaper._

_Gotta Go Fast: WHAT_

_The Grimm Reaper: YEP_

_Barbie: oKAY EVERYONE CALL DIBS NOW._

_Crater Face: Couch_

_Bookworm: Floor_

_Barbie: Floor_

_Vomit Boy: Couch_

_Ice princess: Couch_

_Pietro: Eh I have my chair._

_Ninja: Couch_

_Birb man: Couch_

_Lucky-charm: Couch_

_Farm Boy: couch_

_Thunderbolt: Couch_

_Vine: Couch_

_Hammer Time: Couch_

_Gotta Go Fast: Floor._

  
  
_( Barbie changed Pietro’s nickname to Spiderman)_

_Spiderman: Wow_

_Barbie: SHBHFIBSUHOAB_

_Barbie: Okay let’s do this, Jaune, Weiss, Oscar and Ruby on 1 couch_

_Barbie: Clover, Qrow, Elm and Vine on the 2nd couch._

_Barbie: We have 3 couches now and 1 sofa chair now right?_

_Gotta Go Fast: Yep_

_Barbie: Nora, Ren, James and Winter on the 3rd._

_Barbie: Then me, Blake, Yang, Penny, Marrow and Harriet on the floor._

_Barbie: and Maria on a sofa chair._

_Barbie: OKAY I AM 5 MINUTES AWAY_

* * *

  
You got to the academy and headed for the common room.

You walked in to find everyone sitting on couches, pillows and blankets all over the floor, some people were sitting in the kitchen waiting for food.

“ MOVIE NIGHT!” You screamed and everyone was startled then looked at you and cheered.

_Movie night! This should be fun._

You quickly put down the food and pizza but then ADA’s voice came from your scroll in your pocket, if ADA wasn’t connected to an earpiece then she was basically on speaker mode if she was on your scroll.

_“ Incoming call from: Robyn Hill, would you like to answer Y/N?”_

You looked at the Ace-ops, James and Winter who had their eyes wide.

You soon looked at Clover who had his mouth and eyes wide open and he had a look of guilt on his face, but you could barely see it with his shock.

You breathed out a humorless laugh, ignoring your scroll ringing.

You knew for a fact James didn’t like Robyn, and the Ace-ops all used to be friends with Robyn.

“ Who’s up for some popcorn…?” You squeaked, The Ace-ops eyes still wide and everyone else other in the room confused.

Movie night quickly turned into interrogation night


	20. Movie Night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY ITS KINDA SHORT

Your scroll was ringing in the room, ADA had announced that Robyn Hill was calling you.

Robyn used to be friends with Clover and the others before they became Ace-ops and had a falling out.

You grabbed your scroll from your pocket, the Ace-ops still shocked.

“ I’m..” You paused to look around the room, “ I’m gonna go take this..”

You went out of the common room and everyone looked at you on the way out.

Your scroll kept ringing and you finally picked up.

“ ROBYN! Now is not a good time!”

_“ I know it’s not a good time! We have a big emergency!”_

“ Like really really big? Like a Goliath stepped on the base kinda big?”

_“ Okay not THAT big but like still kinda big.”_

“ BY ANY CHANCE, and I mean by ANY chance, can I delay like 4 hours-”

_“ Y/N!”_

“ 2 HOURS?!”

_“ 1 HOUR!”_

“ okay ok ok ok.”

_“ You better be down here in an hour or I swear to god I will come to the academy and drag you to the Slums myself”_

“ JEEZ OKAY.”

You ended the call and walked back into the common room, the Ace-ops were still shocked but had calmed down a bit.

Ruby broke the silence, “ Okay so we chose like 15 movies-”

“ Bad news.” You interjected.

Yang gave you a questioning and confused face.

“ I have to go in 1 hour.”

“ **_WHY?!”_ ** Everyone screamed.

You put a finger over your ear, “ There’s just a problem I have to deal with.”

“ But-”

“ Okay let’s watch a horror movie first.” You interjected Blake then looked at Ruby, “ What Movies?” You asked.

“ Dog rain-”

“Nope.” You and Qrow said at the same time.

Marrow even started laughing, “ How is Dog Rain a horror movie?” 

“ SHE DOESN’T GET TO KEEP THE PUPPIES!” Ruby yelled and everyone started laughing.

You sat down beside Harriet on the floor, you both shared a long pillow that reached over to Blake and Yang while Marrow sat with Penny.

( order: Penny-Marrow-Yang-Blake-You-Harriet)

You were sitting on the floor in front of the couch of where Qrow, Clover, Elm and Vine were.

Harriet whispered beside you, you almost couldn't even hear her.

“ How do you know Robyn..?” She whispered.

You made up a lie, “ I used to come to Atlas, me and Robyn are friends.” Well most of it was a lie, it was just that you didn't meet Robyn until last night.

Harriet didn't reply, instead she looked to the ground for a moment then brought her head up and smiled, “ Next movie?”

“ The Quiet Place” Blake said.

“eh” Aka Qrow’s way of saying no.

“ The Conjuring” Marrow suggested.

“ **_NO!”_ **All the Ace-ops roared and Marrow pouted while everyone else was startled.

“ Why not?!” He whined.

“ You're gonna have nightmares for weeks, pup” Elm said.

“ Pup” you breathed out and scoffed.

You used to call Marrow Pup, only YOU called him that, other than Xanthe or his adoptive parents.

“ As much as it’s a good movie.” Harriet started then looked at Elm.

“ I _don’t_ want you to come into my room at 3am again.” Elm said.

Marrow looked at Clover, “ Clover if I-“

“ You are sleeping on the couch if you have nightmares.” Clover interjected

He pouted then looked then shrugged.

“ How about Bird Box?” You suggested, “ It’s not that scary though but since it’s Penny’s and Oscar’s first horror movie, we should do something you know, less scary.”

Everyone looked at each other but then nodded and understood. No one here had ever watched Bird Box before.

“ Bird box it is.” Jaune said

“ ADA” You called.

_“ Welcome back, Y/N, how can I help you?”_

“ Connect to the TV.”

_“ Connecting now.”_

After a moment you looked at the TV and your scroll was mirroring, showing recent calls which you really hadn’t called anyone today other than Robyn so you didn’t care.

* * *

_Recent Calls:_

_Robyn Hill_

_Miko_

_Neon Katt_

_Qrow Branwen_

_Qrow Branwen_

_Flynt Coal._

* * *

  
4 of those were honestly missed calls.

You went through movies on your scroll and pressed bird box.

You relaxed onto the pillow and watched the gigantic screen in front of you.

“ This should be good.” You mumbled.

* * *

  
“ WHY IS SHE SMASHING HER HEAD ON THE WINDOW?!” Clover asked, yelling and a bit terrified of the blood.

“ IT’S THE THING! Clover if you're THAT Terrified from the blood then you will not be ready for what happens next.”

“ What happens- OH MY GOD, NOT HER FRIEND”

“ Wasn’t that her sister?” Marrow asked.

“ You guys seriously need to pay more attention.” You said.

“ DANG SHE SURVIVED THE CRASH” Yang yelled.

“ That girl is pretty cute not gonna lie.” Harrier said and you snorted, “ Just wait” you said.

“ OH!” Everyone yelled then winced.

“ Of course right when I say that, she gets hit by a car.”

You looked at Oscar who had his eyes wide open and shaking slightly, then you looked at Penny who was taking in the sight of everything. You are all definitely watching a happy movie after this.

* * *

“ CHARLIE!!” Everyone screamed.

“ OH MY GOD, HE’S FUCKING DEAD.” 

No one yelled at Harriet for swearing, they were all still terrified from what just happened.

  
“ WHERE THE FUCK IS PERVERT BOY AND COP GIRL!?”

“ WHERE ELSE DO YOU THINK HARRIET!? THE CAR IS GONE” You yelled.

“ SO THEY JUST LEFT!?!” Maria asked, yelling.

“ YES.”

* * *

  
“ This dude seems kinda suspicious not gonna lie.” Blake said

“ Well they let a random man into their home and don’t know if they should trust him, of course it’s suspicious.” Elm said.

“ OH MY GOD OLYMPIA’S WATER BROKE” Harriet Yelled

“ HOLY-“

“ SHIT “ Harriet finished Nora’s sentence. 

You smiled, horror movies may be scary, but it’s fun if you watch with the right people.

“ WAIT HOLD ON” Jaune said from the couch.

“ DID MALORIE’S WATER JUST BREAK?” Winter asked, yelling.

“ YES.”

“ Jeez these guys aren’t even doctors and they are tryna deliver a baby.” Clover said from behind you.

“ Ew what the hay did Greg draw.” Oscar said.

“ EWWW” Clover said and slowly moved Closer to Qrow as if he needed someone.

You were tempted to take a picture of the 2 of them, almost as if they were clinging to each other, but you decided to focus on the movie.

“ STOP- WHY IS HE REMOVING THE STUFF COVERING THE WINDOWS?” Weiss yelled.

“ NO-NO- OH MY GOD HE SAW IT!” Ruby yelled.

“ NEVERMIND, WE SHOULD NEVER WATCH THE CONJURING” Marrow yelled.

“ Oh no Douglas.” Vine said

“ DOUGLAS!” James yelled.

“ THE GARAGE” Harriet screamed.

You looked at Vine. Vine was a calm and sentimental person, he never expressed most feelings but you knew deep inside if he ever saw a cute kitten, he would be cooing it and giving it attention like crazy, but now whenever he’s scared, he usually twitches a lot or clings to Elm.

Elm.

“ What’s up with Vine and Elm?” You whispered to Harriet.

“ I don’t know, the only thing I know about Elm is that she’s dating Clover.”

You almost spit out the popcorn you were eating, Elm and Clover dating!? They’re close but they don’t seem that close.

Harriet chuckled a bit, “ But me and Marrow think it’s because Clover is secretly Gay and Elm is helping him hide it.” Harriet whispered, “ Elm and Clover are really good friends, she’s always had his back just like…” She paused then looked down to the ground as her face fell for a moment. You were about to ask if she was okay but then she brought her head back up fast and smiled, “ Elm and Clover are good friends, she always has his back, I think Vine may secretly have a crush on Elm.”

You groaned but quietly, “ This is like middle school crushes.”

You and Harriet started laughing, causing the attention of the 4 adults and 4 teenagers sitting beside you.

“ SHH!” Qrow said and put a finger over his lips.

“ Sorry.” You both whispered and then smiled at each other.

You and Harriet are gonna be good friends.

And it is now your duty to find out if Clover really is Gay and/or dating Elm.

“ HE KILLS HIM WITH SCISSORS?” Oscar yelled.

You almost forgot that the movie was playing for a few moments, “ Yeeep” You said and smacked your lips.

You looked at Marrow and saw that he was looking at you the entire time, he quickly turned away when your eyes met.

_Weird._

Though what you didn’t know was that it’s been an hour and 30 minutes since Robyn called.

* * *

The movie ended, everyone was asleep somehow even though it was only 10:27.

You were even asleep too, but you woke up to someone shaking you.

You opened your eyes slowly, your vision blurry.

_OH MY GOD IT’S THE THING FROM THE MOVIE I’M GONNA DIE._

You were about to scream until they covered your mouth, you blinked and the blurriness went away, it was-

“ Robyn!?” You whispered with your voice muffled by her hand, aware of everyone else sleeping.

Harriet was laying on your lap and Blake had her head rested on your shoulder- well at least she did until Robyn moved her lightly.

She helped you up and put a Pillow down for Harriet to rest her head on instead of your lap.

” What are you doing here?” You whispered as you both slowly walked Into the kitchen.

You looked at everyone who was sleeping, Weiss’s head was on Jaune’s shoulders and Oscar was laying in Ruby’s lap.

Elm and Vine looked like they were..hugging each other? You had no idea, and Clover had his head rested on Qrow’s.

  
” It's been 2 and a half hours since I called you.” Robyn whispered.

She really wasn't joking-

” How did you even get past security?” You asked.

Robyn looked to her right and smiled, you were confused because there was no one there, until suddenly a body appeared.

” May?” You called.

” Yep.” She responded.

” Let's go.” Robyn whispered and turned her head to the door and started walking towards the door but stopped and stumbled as you grabbed her wrist.

” Wait!” You hissed then walked back to the kitchen counter, you looked through drawers to find any form of paper then found a small sticky note, You pulled it out and found a pen then started writing on it, whispering the words you were writing.

_I had to go somewhere._

You left the note on the kitchen table, hopefully, no one would have a giant stress problem again trying to look for you.

You started walking up to Robyn and May.

” You ready?” May asked.

You used your semblance to change into some clothes.

You started walking towards the door of the common room until you saw something move at the corner of your eye.

You turned and looked at Blake who's ears had flinched.

” Stop.” You whispered and May and Robyn stopped immediately, confused.

You pointed at Blake and they also saw her ears had flinched when you whispered.

You went back into the kitchen and grabbed the sticky note then headed towards everyone sleeping.

You kneeled down in front of her and tapped her nose with your finger.

” Blake?” You whispered, she was now in Yang’s lap.

She moved slightly and made a low ”hmm?”

” Oh you're half asleep.” You said then stuck the sticky note on her forehead and you heard Robyn snort.

You got up then you walked towards the door, May using her semblance to hide you all from cameras or security.

Robyn and May wouldn’t tell you what the emergency was, you didn’t know why but if it's something THAT big then they should tell you right _now._

* * *

“ Holy shit..” You breathed out.

You were looking at a dead body in front of you, a White Fang member to be exact.

You turned your head and looked at Samantha, Xanthe, Zedd and Miko, the Happy huntresses beside them.

“ W-When-“ You paused and turned your body around, “ When and How the fuck did this happen?” 

“ We found her in the streets of Mantle.” Joanna spoke up, “ She was wearing a jacket with the White Fang symbol so we brought her here.”

You looked at Xanthe who was reading something, a few files that were on her desk.

She gave a solemn sigh, “ She’s not the only dead one.” She said then stood up.

“ We didn’t think it was a pattern until _now.”_ Miko said.

“ Pattern?”

Robyn walked up to you, “ There are people who are killing my supporters, and some of my supporters are in the White Fang.”

You didn’t quite understand what she was saying, “ Which means..?”

She gave a long and weary sigh, “ Someone is targeting you and me.”

You widened your eyes at her words, why would someone be targeting you?

“ How long since..?” 

“ It was just a small amount when you became leader, but now it’s so much more..” Samantha said.

Xanthe walked up to you and gave you about 17 papers, “ What are these?” you asked.

“ Files..” she paused then looked away, “ on every dead White Fang member.”

You started going through every file as fast as you could, these were people you knew.

“ Y/N” Zedd called and you looked up at him, “ It’s time to be a leader, if this keeps going on then there is no doubt someone is targeting you and Robyn, maybe even the whole Fang organization.”

You sighed, “ Are there any possible suspects?” You asked.

No one spoke up, instead their expression changed.

You knew there was someone.

“ Who?” You said, almost yelling.

If they wouldn’t tell you then you would just find out yourself, you're not just gonna let more and more people die.

“ General Ironwood.” Zedd said.

You were shocked, “ W-what..?” You breathed out.

“ Most of my supporters...are the ones who speak out about General Ironwood.” Robyn said.

“ And those exact same supporters are also a part of the White Fang.” Miko said.

“ As much as we don’t want to assume it’s Ironwood, he’s our only suspect.” Fiona said.

“ I’ll look into it.” You said.

You didn’t want to suspect it was James but if he’s the only suspect then you have no choice, You don’t want people to keep on dying.

“ Anything else I should know?” You asked, “ That’s all.” Zedd informed.

“ Okay.” You held onto the files and started heading for the door.

“ Y/N” Xanthe called.

You turned around, “ Yeah?” You asked.

“ Zedd is right, you need to do everything you can for the Fang. I can set up a meeting with the council soon.” 

Xanthe wasn’t wrong, you chose the path to become the leader, which means it’s time to fight for your family.

“ Okay, but I need one of you at my side.” You said, referring to Miko, Samantha, Xanthe and Zedd.

“ I’ll go.” Samantha offered and so did Xanthe.

“ If there’s ever a Gala that the council hosts, they’ll invite you and your friends, you’ll need Samantha’s semblance.” Xanthe said.

Samantha's semblance was like your outfit changing one, she could change into how anyone could look, you could only change your hair colour and clothes, not your eyes or skin colour. But Samantha could do it all.

“ Okay, but if my friends and the Ace-ops do ever come to a Gala, you’ll have a run in with your brother Xanthe.” You said.

She groaned, “ Adoptive brother.”

“ I’m sure Marrow would love to see you too, Xanthe.” Miko said while laughing.

The Happy huntresses had already left.

When Marrow was 9 years old, he lost his parents, so Xanthe’s family had adopted Marrow, it wasn’t too long until her parents died though.

Honestly, part of you thought that Xanthe was the most hurt when Marrow left, she always said “ Adoptive Brother” after he left but she still sees him as if he’s blood related, but ever since then, it’s like the last part of her real family was gone.

But over the years she realized-you all realized- that everyone around her, everyone around you, right in this room, the members of the Fang, are your family.

This whole place is your home.

“ I’m assuming that’s all s-“ 

“ One more thing.” You interjected Zedd.

You used your semblance and brought up a White Fang mask, they haven’t been used since Adam died, no one except you knew that Adam died.

“ Adam’s mask?” Samantha asked.

“ Yea..” You said solemnly, “ Adam is dead.”

You felt the mood in the room change quickly, Adam may have been an abusive boyfriend- hell he wasn’t even an entirely good friend, but he was still family, and you care about family no matter what.

“ We do this for him.” You said then turned the mask back into glass and made it disappear.

“ It’s what he would have wanted.” You said as you started walking towards the door.

“ Call me if there’s a problem or, well, anything.” You said then left the base.

* * *

“ All right, gather 'round. Our mission today is to secure the launch site for the Amity Communications Tower.” Clover said.

You, Jaune, Ruby, Qrow and Clover were in an office, you were all looking at a table with 3 holographic screens which then showed an old dust mine, you stood beside Qrow.

“The designated area is an abandoned Dust mine. Since its closure, the Grimm have moved in.” Clover explained, “ The good news is all that untouched Dust is still down there, too. Science team says they'll need it for the first phase of their launch. Atlas military Huntsmen are already hard at work clearing out the surrounding tundra. But recon has identified a powerful Geist that's managed to evade destruction and take several lives. After we increased our numbers, the Geist was smart enough to retreat into the mine itself, meaning it's old and extremely dangerous.”

Clover pressed a button and the screen quickly changed to another photo, “ This is our target.” The screen showed the Geist which possessed a bunch of boulders, it was basically the same as the one you and RNJR fought on the way to Mistral, but with ice and dust in the boulders instead.

“ We will all be split into 3 groups while Oscar stays here.” Clover said.

You didn’t like the fact that Oscar had to stay here alone, you knew he started to feel like he was a part of the team but by leaving him behind it's as if he isn’t a part of the team.

You remembered during your first night in Argus when you heard someone crying.

You walked into the backyard and found Oscar curled up against the wall, it was so sad to see him like that, he was only 14 and was given so much pressure and a burden.

Apparently ever since Qrow punched him, he’s been having nightmares of what would happen to him if Oz ever took over. He thinks everything was his fault, he even thought Qrow had hated him.

You hugged him after he said all that, and you promised that Qrow didn’t hate him and that nothing bad would ever happened, and ever since then, you never left his side if he was ever alone, you were just glad he had JNR with him in the dorm room if he ever had nightmares again.

“ Team RWBY with Marrow and Harriet, Team JNR with Elm and Vine and Qrow and Y/N with me.” Clover had said all the teams and you heard Qrow grumble something low.

You knew Qrow hated having to work with someone, not that he ever had a problem with whoever he worked with-unless he hated them- he was just scared his semblance would do something.

Clover heard Qrow grumble, “ The mine was a labyrinth back in the day. There's all sorts of tunnels and chambers the Geist can move between, so if we're gonna kill this thing, we'll have to _split up_ and corner it. General Ironwood says you've seen your fair share of combat, I trust that man with my life, so tomorrow, I'll be trusting you all, too.” Clover said, looking at Qrow the entire time.

* * *

After about an hour and everyone was ready- oh and how could you forget, new outfits!

You had a white cropped V-Cut Neck Ribbed Knit Tee, a pink leather jacket on top and white ripped jeans with 2 belts to hold Hush at your side.

You looked at everyone, you were all outside the academy when 3 airships came, James, Winter, Penny, and Oscar wishing you all good luck.

You looked at Oscar and walked up to him while everyone else started walking into the Airships. Earlier you messaged team FNKI about Oscar, They didn’t have any classes today, so you thought it would be best for Oscar to meet some new people, and so he wasn’t alone.

“ Oscar.” You called, “ Yea Y/N?” He responded, you pulled your scroll out and showed him a dorm room number, he was confused and was about to ask until you spoke.

“ I want you to meet some people, go to this dorm, I’m sure you’ll love them.” 

He seemed like he wanted to protest until his face softened and he nodded and smiled at you.

“ Y/N!” Clover called, you turned around and waved Oscar goodbye then started walking towards the Airship.

“ Y/N!” Oscar called, you turned around and he mouthed a ‘Thank you’.

You walked into the Airship and sat down beside Clover and Qrow.

You stretched your arms out then looked at Qrow and Clover.

“ It's mission time.”


	21. The Mission

You were all headed to the Tundra for a mission when the doors of the Airship opened.

Landing Strategy.

You didn't need to think of an actual strategy, well you did but Hush was a Parasol, if you ever had to think of a landing strategy and you had Hush, you could just open her and you could just float.

You all walked to the door and you looked out, and saw an ice mine.

Clover reached for his earpiece, “ Let's make it happen, people.”

You jumped out of the Airship and opened Hush when you were close to the Ice, it wasn’t much of a fall. You saw Elm on the way down and she waved at you.

You, Clover, And Qrow slid down the ice and into the tunnel entrance.

Clover reached for his earpiece again, “ This is Alpha squad. LZ's clear. Proceeding on foot. You've all got _fancy_ new Scrolls, so don't forget to use 'em. Keep your eyes and ears open. I want an update if you encounter the target. Alpha out.”

You started shivering, “ It’s freezing out here!” 

You had no idea how Clover was fine with NO sleeves.

“ I have no idea how you and Blake always seem to do your makeup when we’re trying to save the world, and how you can wear a crop top in Atlas.” Qrow said.

You flicked your hair and walked past him and into the tunnel, “ It’s a gift.”

You heard him snort and then him and Clover soon walked into the entrance.

“ Gotta say, I'm still not really used to working with other Huntsmen in the field.” Qrow said after a few moments of silence.

You knew exactly why he wasn’t used to it.

“ But you were on a team _before_ , weren't you?” Clover asked, you took out your scroll to look at any more files on any dead Fang members, Since Qrow and Clover were stuck in conversation, they probably wouldn’t look at your scroll.

“ Long time ago. I just found working alone tends to be for the best.” You let the conversation continue beside you “Well, I think that's a shame.” Clover responded.

You were sending a photo of the cave to the Happy Huntresses when suddenly Qrow almost fell to the ground and Clover caught him.

You chuckled a bit and snapped a photo on your scroll, thank the brothers they didn’t notice.

Clover chuckled then reached for his earpiece, “ Alpha here. Give me an update.”

You looked at Qrow who seemed pissed and you were trying so hard to hide your laughter but nothing more than snickers came out.

“ The connecting ice tunnels seem clear. We should be approaching the actual mine any minute now.” Vine gave the update to Clover.

“ Bravo checking in. Hit a bit of a snag.” Harriet said, “ There's been a cave-in in the main entrance. Not sure if it's recent or was caused by the original accident. Either way, we'll have to do a little problem solving.”

You slowed down then looked around, you knew this place.

You stopped walking and Clover and Qrow went ahead, not noticing.

Suddenly a bunch of screams and cries ran through your head and you started breathing heavily, a bunch of thoughts and visions going through your head.

The cave with _bodies_ everywhere, dust explosions going off, screams and cries of Faunus.

You remembered this place, you were on a mission with a friend to get some dust when suddenly someone caused a chain reaction dust explosion.

You thought you were gonna die as the explosion was close to you, but your friend, Starr, pushed you out of the way and the explosion soon hit her.

You looked to the right and saw her body, crying and screaming for help, “ Y/N” She kept crying for your help, you tried and tried, she kept screaming and soon she went quiet.

_“ Y/N!” Her cries faded in your head._

_“ Y/N!”_

“ Y/N!” You were brought back to reality when you heard Clover yell your name and you shook your head, the vision of the old cave was gone and all you saw was Qrow and Clover.

“ Are you okay?” Qrow asked.

You started walking up to catch up with them.

“ This mine was closed after an explosion..” You said then looked down as your face fell, the cries and screams ringing through your head.

“ it took so many _lives.._ ” You whispered and Starr’s face showed up then you soon shook your head.

You walked in between them, hitting both of their arms, “ Let’s just get this over with.”

Clover reached out his arm but soon stopped when you heard Harriet’s voice.

“ This is Bravo! We found the target, but it fled deeper into the mine. Engaging Centinels!” 

“ Let’s pick up the pace. “ Clover said and you all started walking a bit faster.

Suddenly something burst through the ground and a geist appeared, rocks followed by it but it hadn’t possessed them fully yet, but it was about too.

Qrow put Harbinger into shotgun mode and started shooting at the geist.

Hush didn’t have a type of Gun but it did have something you could use, you may or may have not snuck an upgrade into Hush with Pietro.

( Don’t worry you paid him )

“ This is Alpha! We've engaged the target! All squads head toward our position!” You heard Clover yell and say on the earpiece.

You took out the Needle from Hush but before you did you pressed a button and Hush made a sound. Blake and Ren’s upgrades had you thinking and you decided to add a ribbon to the needle, if you pressed a button a ribbon would be added to the Needle.

The Ribbon could stretch out to about 100 feet.

The Ribbon was attached to the handle and you had the other side of the ribbon in your other hand.

The Ribbon looked small but if you stretch it out, it gets longer, and longer, and londer.

You get what I mean.

You also had Gravity dust inside the handle of hush and Gravity dust in your gloves.

Oh wait- I forgot! You had white fingerless leather gloves with gravity dust embedded into it, Kinda like Jaune’s shield.

You held on to the other end of the Ribbon tight then threw the needle into a boulder the geist was about to possess.

The Needle dug into the boulder and soon the ribbon started stretching, then the ribbon moved and you with it.

It was like you were flying but also trying to dodge all the boulders, you were about to try and kick the boulder the geist was in until you heard Qrow yell something as you were still in mid air.

“ Wait, Stop!” He yelled and then you heard something crash from behind you, breaking the ribbon and you fell into the hole the crash made.

You were falling until you felt something loop around your waist and you were suddenly pulled up from the hole and slammed into the ground and whatever was around your waist went away.

Clover chuckled a bit and you realized that he used Kingfisher.

You groaned, “ Could have given me a heads up.” you mumbled.

“ Your welcome!” He yelled, annoyed by the fact you didn’t say thank you.

You groaned and chuckled a bit, “ Thank you.”

You got up then Clover looked at the crash and hole.

“ Darn it. “ Clover hissed as he saw the Geist was gone, “Target escaped, last seen headed east. “ He said as he reached for his ear piece then he looked at Qrow, “Thanks for the call-out. That could have been bad.” He looked at you then back to Qrow.

You pulled your scroll out to see if there was any way to get to everyone else since the path was now blocked off.

“ I wouldn't thank me. My Semblance brings misfortune. Sometimes I can't keep it under control.” Qrow said.

“ ADA “ You called and then the 2 huntsman looked at you.

“ _Welcome back, Y/N, How can I help you?”_

“ Show me a map of the labyrinth.”

Your scroll soon showed a map of the entire labyrinth then you looked to your right and saw something you could pull down for a new path to open up.

You looked at Clover who caught on.

“ That so?” He asked Qrow then turned to you and used the fishing pole of Kingfisher to open up a new path then soon looked back at Qrow.

“ Well, hey, don't beat yourself up about it. _My_ Semblance is _good_ fortune. Lucky you, huh?” Clover said then winked at Qrow.

The winking didn’t matter to you, it was the fact that his semblance was the exact opposite of Qrow’s that bothered you and you knew for a fact that Qrow was bothered by it too.

Qrow didn’t like his semblance-hell he hated it, his semblance could hurt family and friends and now that Qrow just found someone who has a _Good fortune_ semblance could honestly piss him off.

Clover reached for his earpiece, “ Charlie, Bravo, you should be able to cut off the target at the heart of the mine. Qrow, Y/N and I won't be far behind.”

Clover walked into the new path and you looked at Qrow, he had his eyes wide and he was looking down.

Clover was basically the type of person Qrow wanted to be, a nice semblance, actual partners, and probably not a person who fights with Winter Schnee 24/7.

He soon looked up, his face was red with anger.

“ Qrow are you-”

He pushed past you and soon followed Clover.

You got to the heart of the mine about like 2 minutes after the fight with the Geist started.

“ Heads up!” You told Clover and he caught a dust crystal that was in the air, he chuckled a bit then looked at his teammates, “ What would you guys do without me?” He teased.

He turned around then threw the dust crystal at Qrow.

_Could of given him a heads up-_

He caught it then you both looked back at Clover who was now walking backwards, saluted then did a backflip off from where you were all standing and towards his teammates.

You and Qrow scoffed, “ Show off.”

” He is really cocky.”

You watched as Clover rapped the fishing pole around the face of the Geist and saw that all the teens had watched in amazement.

Clover roared and soon pulled the Geist out then Harriet punched the Geist and it turned into dust.

The boulders were now falling, same with the dust crystals which the Ace-ops were now catching them, you even caught one too.

Well sort of.

It was one at your side that you and Qrow didn’t notice until it was almost at the ground.

It almost hit the ground and you put your hand out to stop it, which somehow worked.

It was like...levitation?

The crystal was in the air, moving slightly, you didn’t know how you were doing it, you weren’t even touching the crystal, but it somehow started turning to glass.

The crystal soon floated towards you and you caught it, confused and shocked at the same time.

So was Qrow.

“ Did you know you could do that?” He asked.

“ I had NO Idea.” You responded but then something came to head.

There was something Glynda had taught you and everyone else back at Beacon, she had always said “ Semblances grow as you grow.” Even Qrow said that sometimes.

You chuckled a bit then turned to Qrow, “ It’s like you said, Semblances tend to grow.” 

You looked back at the group and saw that Ruby had caught a crystal and Harriet helped her up and they had a small conversation, soon ending by Elm picking her up onto her Shoulder.

You and Qrow jumped down beside Clover, “ Lucky catch, huh?” Qrow said, still remembering the fact about Clover’s semblance.

Clover chuckled a bit, “ Hm. No. I'd chalk _that_ one up to talent.” He said then reached for his earpiece as everyone walked towards you all.

“ Atlas Control, this is Clover. Mission accomplished.” 

You heard a few voices come from his earpiece and then he looked at everyone else.

“ Come on, let’s help them bring the dust out.” Clover said.

Team RWBY, and JNR Left the mine with the dust crystals almost faster than Ruby’s semblance, they must have been really tired, well except Jaune, he was still with you and the Ace-ops

Clover reached for his earpiece, “ Atlas Control, you should have 6 teenagers coming out of the mine with the dust crystals.”

“ _We see them. “_ Someone responded.

“ Okay, I think we're good to go.” Clover said.

You, Qrow, the Ace-ops and Jaune started heading to the exit of the mine until the ground started shaking and you all stopped.

“ Uhh.” Marrow said, shaking and stumbling from the ground.

“ What was that..?” Marrow finished.

The ground was shaking- No the whole mine was!

Then suddenly boulders started falling, the exit and any entrance to the mine was blocked off and the mine kept shaking more and more.

Everyone was getting scared when you all heard a roar.

“ By the sounds of that..” You said then paused and you yelped when a boulder almost hit you, “ AND THE SIZE!” Marrow shrieked.

The roars got louder from the outside of the mine.

“ That’s either a King Taijitu..or..” You paused, if it was what you think it was then everyone outside the mine aka RWBY and Ren and Nora, could all die.

“ OR WHAT?” Qrow yelled, he was obviously scared for his nieces, oh and the other like 7 kids-

“ OKAY DON’T PANIC!” You shouted as the roars got louder and louder outside the mine.

“ TOO LATE WE ARE ALREADY PANICKING!” Elm yelled.

“ OKOK, IT’S REALLY UNLIKELY, MORE LIKE IMPOSSIBLE, BUT IT MIGHT BE A BLIND WORM!” You yelled.

“ WHAT!?” Everyone screamed, if it was a Blind Worm then everyone outside of the mine could POSSIBLY die, unless Ruby can use her silver eyes in time.

Blind worms are enormous worm-like Grimm capable of burrowing underground and through the sands of Vacuo. They have a singular red eye and a giant fanged mouth. These Worms can range from 6 feet to _bigger._

It would be impossible for a Blind worm to be here, their habitats are in Vacuo, but sometimes Grimm can end up _anywhere._

Every single entrance or exit to the mine was now blocked off by tons of boulders.

“ We’re trapped..” Vine said.

The Boulders were too big for Vine to use his semblance on them, and he already used a bit of his Aura earlier.

After a moment of silence James' voice came from the earpiece.

“ Are you all okay?” He asked.

“ Yea, were fine, a bit bruised up from the boulders but nothing too serious, what’s happening?” Clover responded.

“ Somehow, A Blind worm is in Atlas.” 

You all widened your eyes, “ ARE YOU ALL OKAY?! SHOULDN’T YOU BE TRYING TO KILL IT?” Harriet yelled.

“ Ruby did... _something..._ to it.” James responded.

You, Jaune and Qrow all grinned, while the rest of the Ace-ops were confused.

“ We’re trying to get you out, we just don’t know how without the entire mine collapsing on you, but we’ll figure it out.” James said.

“ Okay sir, Over and Out.” Clover responded

You stretched and laid down on the uncomfortable ground, “ Might as well get comfortable.” Marrow scoffed, “ Fat chance.”

“ Wow, you’ve developed sass.”

“ And you’ve developed on becoming annoying.”

“ OHOHO.” You sat up, “ Wow, it’s been so long, I almost forgot how much of a dick you can be.”

“ Say’s the girl who burned down Malachite manor?” 

“ Hey that was an accident!”

“ It wasn’t much of an accident, you literally had a candle and you dropped it ON PURPOSE in front of Melanie and Miltia Malachite!”

“ THEY WERE BEING BITCHES! AT LEAST I DIDN’T PURPOSELY BREAK THEIR LEGS!”

“ YOU DID! YOU BROKE MILITIA'S ARMS AND MELANIE’S LEGS!” 

You were about to protest until you gave up.

“ Well at least I didn’t almost burn down a dance club!”

“ HE PULLED MY TAIL!”

“ I TOLD YOU I WOULD GET BACK AT HIM FOR YOU! DOESN’T MEAN U TRY BURNING DOWN THE WHOLE CLUB!”

“ iT WAS WORTH IT!”

“ YOU GOT BANNED FROM 3 DANCE CLUBS!”

He hesitated then spoke, “ STILL WORTH IT!”

You and him started bursting into laughter, everyone else in the room confused.

Then there was a point where you got locked into each other's eyes, it was like everything around you was gone, you didn’t know if he felt the same thing, but there was something in those light blue eyes that warmed your heart.

Suddenly the ground started shaking and instead of warmth, panic filled your body and there was a loud BOOM that startled all of you.

Qrow reached for his earpiece, “ WHAT WAS THAT JAMES?!” 

“ Sorry, we tried to see if Penny could help but uhm...yeah…”

You all understood, Penny was well...Penny.

You had some glass shards in your pocket and started playing around with them and forming them into animals like a dog or cat, which Jaune found amusing.

You were doing the same thing you did earlier with Glass and Telepathy.

That’s when it came to head.

You looked up to see how big the area was.

Maybe about.. 60 feet width and 160 feet height.

With your semblance, if you turn stuff into glass you can break off the glass from it, but if you can focus hard enough, you can also break the object.

For example: If it was a rock and you focused enough after turning it into glass, you can break the rock and glass.

_I guess I could try_

You’ve only done it on something small once, but now you're trying to do it on something 8x bigger.

“ Jaune” You called as you stood up and he turned his head to you, “ Yeah?” He asked.

You looked at your Aura, it was in the red level, “ I need ur semblance.”

He was confused but didn’t protest, he knew you had a plan by the look on your face.

“ What’s his semblance?” Elm asked.

“He’s a breathing life saver.” Qrow said, Jaune started snickering, “ Aura Amp” He responded.

Ohh.” Everyone said.

“ What are you trying to do?” Vine asked.

“ I might be able to get us out of here, James and Penny can keep trying but the only success they can get is just making more and more rocks fall on us, but if i do this, it MIGHT ruin the launch site.”

“ Might?”

“ Let’s just see how this goes.”

Jaune put his hand on your shoulder and he smiled, “ You can do it.” He said, “ Thanks.” You smiled back.

Soon his and your Aura colour was shown on your shoulder.

_Think good thoughts._

_CFVY_

_Happy Huntresses_

The wall of the cave started turning into glass and everyone except Qrow and Jaune gasped, they had no idea exactly what your semblance was.

The wall started turning into glass even faster, and you knew it was getting through, you couldn’t see the reflection of yourself or anything around you anymore, which means the glass got through the wall.

“ Clover, tell everyone to stand back.” You said.

There’s gonna be a lot of glass and rock pebbles broken.

He told James and soon you heard yelling come from the other side of the cave’s wall- well entrance.

You took your hand off the wall and Jaune took his hand off our shoulder.

“ Hopefully this works “ You said.

“ Everyone get behind me.” Everyone soon got up and went behind you. You opened up Hush into its parasol mode to block you all from the glass breaking.

You snapped your fingers.

And suddenly there was a bunch of wind, you heard glass breaking and falling to the ground, after a moment of trying to hold onto Hush as hard as you can, you heard a bunch of cheers.

You closed Hush and flinched as brightness illuminated the cave but then made a sigh of relief to see everyone okay and-

“ A Blind worm...turned to stone..?” Harriet said, “ What the fuck did Ruby do?”

You, Qrow and Jaune snorted, “ She can turn Grimm into stone with her eyes.”

“ That is AWESOME!” Elm jumped up.

You looked at the mine and made a sigh of relief to see that the launch site was still in one piece.

You all started walking towards the others but they were snickering about something.

Jaune was confused, “ What’s so funny- AHHHHH”

You all screamed and flew back into the ground as Penny came out of NOWHERE and slammed into the ground with green holographic words over her head that spelled out ‘CONGRATULATIONS’’ 

“ SURPRISE!!” She yelled and you all groaned as you got up then she looked back at you all, “ Oh, do they not know yet?” Penny asked.

Winter- wow you didn’t even know she was here- face palmed and James’s had his eyes wide, trying not to laugh.

You all got up and soon the Ace-ops and Qrow were smiling as if they knew something was coming. You and Jaune looked at each other in confusion then looked at Penny, Winter and James, “ Not know what?” You both asked

* * *

“ It goes without saying that this arena holds a significance to all of us. It's only fitting that we should be able to reconvene here. Now. When the world needs to be brought together more than ever. The road you traveled from our first meeting hasn't been easy.”

James said, you were all standing in a line in the middle of Amity while the Ace-ops were sitting in the Stadium and Qrow standing near Winter.

“ You fought for your school and your friends at Beacon. You fought for the world and the innocent at Haven Academy and beyond. You faced down terrors people can't even fathom. That's not the behavior of students. It's the behavior… of Huntsmen and Huntresses.” He finished and you widened his eyes at your words, then looked at the Ace-ops and they all grinned, they knew this was happening, and brothers knew they didn’t want to miss it.

Penny soon walked up, and a beep came from everyone’s scroll. Everyone was confused on what was happening, but you knew what it was.

“ You are being granted your huntsman licenses, _today.”_ Winter said and she smiled at Weiss, she was proud to see her sister, she knew how much Weiss had wanted this.

Everyone was still confused, they knew now but they were confused on _why they_ were getting them now.

But you were confused on why you got it.

You let the conversation happen beside you as a bunch of thoughts ran through your head.

_Do I really deserve it?_

_No- I don’t._

_Wait, but...maybe?_

You went to Beacon to learn how to kill huntsman, but now everything’s different, yes you changed but do you really still deserve something this big? You were only 19, Ruby was 17- well Ruby has grown a lot and figured out how to use her silver eyes so I think she’s fine- You had to be 21 to get your license, unless you had a late birthday while you graduated.

The conversation went on and you remembered what Glynda had told you before you left Beacon to travel to Mistral.

* * *

Glynda didn't try hiding her smile and sigh of relief when you told her you were going to Mistral, she was glad you were leaving, she didn’t think you were safe at Beacon after the Fall, nor did she think CFVY was too.

CFVY had left about a month after the Fall, while you left about 5 months after- maybe even 6.

The Fall of Beacon happened before the end of the school year, and you left with RNJR during Winter- brothers you stayed at Beacon to help for a LONG Time.

A typical school day for a second year at Beacon:

_7:30 AM: Breakfast_

_8:00 AM: Plant science, Professor Thumbelina Peach._

_9:45 AM: Military Strategy, Professor Peter Port._

_11:15 AM: Weapon Crafting and Upkeep, Professor Harold Mulberry_

_12:30 PM: Lunch_

_1:30 PM: Stealth and Security, Professor Ann Greene ( this was your favourite class )_

_2:15 PM: Legends of Remnant, Professor- sorry Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck._

_4:00 PM: Combat Training, Professor Glynda Goodwitch ( also your favourite class )_

_5:00 PM: Sparring, Self Directed_

_6:00 PM: Dinner._

_A Typical School day after the Fall:_

_5:00 AM: Breakfast_

_5:15 AM: Fight Grimm, Professor- Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck._

_12:00 PM: Lunch_

_1:00 PM: Fight Grimm, Professor Peter Port._

_6:00 PM: Rebuilding, Professor Glynda Goodwitch_

_7:30 PM: Infirmary_

_8:00 PM: Night Patrol, Self Directed_ _._

You and CFVY were so tired during your night patrols as more and more Grimm came, “ They just keep coming!” Yatsu had always complained and so would Fox, he would point to the Grimm- whatever it was- Frozen on top of Beacon tower and turned into stone, “ It’s that _thing “_ He always said.

Soon after that, Team CFVY had left for Vacuo, and you were left with Glynda, Peter and Bartholomew.

Glynda gave you a letter that was addressed to Leonardo Lionheart, “ What’s this?” You had asked her, she smiled, “ Your transcripts if you want to enroll into Haven, give him my best.” You had smiled and hugged her which she was startled by, “ Thank you Professor Goodwitch.” You said.

She chuckled a bit and returned the hug, “ Technically I’m not your professor anymore.” You broke the hug and she straightened her posture and clasped her hands behind her back, “ As much as we were worried you wouldn’t be safe here, I’m proud you will be going out to the world to complete your training and I have no doubt you’ll be an exemplary huntress”

She spread her hands out, “ Since You won’t have the privilege of hearing Professor Ozpin deliver his graduation speech, there’s one thing he told every class that I want to share with you.”

She clasped her hands behind her back again, she thought for a moment then cleared her throat, “ Beacon Academy is not a place. it is an idea, which has taken root in each and every one of you. _You_ are Beacon, and you must now go forth and serve as a hopeful light for others. It is your privilege and burden as a Huntress to protect not only those who cannot defend themselves, but to watch out for yourself, and friends.” She raised an eyebrow up then closed her eyes and lowered her head “ Now get out of here.”

Your throat was choked up and you even pretended something was in your eye, you were on the verge of crying, but you also imagined that Professor Ozpin had given that speech to you.

She looked up, “ That last bit was a part of the speech too. He always kicked students out after that. He hated long good-byes, and so do I.”

You left right after that, the longer you stayed you would have been crying. You made sure to say bye to Professor Oobleck and Professor Port before you headed to Patch.

It was a long walk to Patch, especially because you had to drop by other areas to find Jaune, Ren and Nora, thank god Jaune had let Ren and Nora stay with him and his family after the fall.

After all this time, you were a Huntress.

* * *

You were brought back to reality when someone had shoved a piece of cake in your face, you looked up and your eyes met light blue ones and that warmth was there again, it was Marrow.

“ You’ve been staring at your scroll for 5 minutes ever since General Ironwood left.” He said. You looked around and saw that he was gone, everyone else talking or eating cake.

Oh- Cake!

You took the plastic plate with cake on it that Marrow was holding for about a minute now, you chuckled a bit, “ Thanks.”

“ No problemo.” He responded, “ Come sit with us.” You followed him, but he whispered something that you could barely hear but you knew what he said, “ We still need to talk. “ He whispered, “ Yea..” You agreed, “ We really do.” 

You sat down with the rest of the Ace-ops while everyone else was looking at the mission board.

  
“ How does it feel to finally be a Huntress?” Vine asked.

“ It feels ” _like I don’t deserve it_ “ Great.”

“ Why did you want to become a Huntress?” Clover asked, you sighed and glanced at Marrow, your eyes met light blue ones again, “ For all the wrong reasons.” You admitted.

You looked down at RWBY and JNR, they were all laughing, but something felt wrong, this wasn’t really like Graduation at all.

You got up with the Ace-ops and walked down to Qrow, “ Qrow?” You called, he was sitting with Ruby before she _zoomed_ down to the mission board.

“ Yeah?” He responded, he was smiling to see his nieces and everyone else with their licenses, he was proud, he knew Summer would have been proud of Yang and Ruby too.

You looked back at everyone then looked back at Qrow, “ Why don’t you give them the Beacon graduation speech?” 

Qrow was surprised, he hadn’t heard that speech in about 20 years, maybe he didn’t even remember, “ I’ll try, I just don’t remember everything.” He said as he stood up and you and the Ace-ops walked towards RWBY and JNR- oh and Penny!

“ Hey guys.” You called and everyone turned towards all of you, you looked at Qrow.

Qrow had been such a help during the weeks he had been traveling with you all. He saved you all when Tyrian tried to take Ruby, he helped you all at Haven even though he was hurt by the fact his own sister had betrayed him. He taught Oscar and the others who hadn’t traveled to the other kingdoms about them or the schools and people, he saved Ruby, and apparently he wanted to be here when you all got your licenses. 

“ Since Ozpin isn’t here to give you your graduation speech, me and Y/N will.”

You had widen your eyes then looked at him again, “ Wait why me?” You whispered.

“ Because I don’t remember the whole speech.” he whispered back.

“ Oh for brothers sake.”

“ Hey don’t judge me!” He threw his hands up, “ It’s been 20 years!” At this point you weren’t whispering anymore and everyone else had started laughing and you did too.

He cleared his throat, “ Anyway.” He started and had his hands clasped behind his back and a straight posture. You snorted, you’ve never seen him like this before and honestly he never saw himself as this too.

“ While on the road, I actually thought you kids would get yourself killed, especially for Nora trying to put a fire dust crystal in the microwave.” Everyone started laughing and the Ace-ops were surprised Nora would ever try doing that, you looked and saw that James and Winter had come back to Amity.

“ ...But, no matter how DUMB you all were, you’ve all proven that you are capable of being Huntsman and Huntresses.” Yang snorted, she’s never seen her uncle act so mature, Qrow was even in disbelief about it.

“ Now for the actual speech,” He took a long deep sigh, trying to remember everything, “ Beacon Academy is not a place. It is an idea, which has taken root in each and every one of you. You are Beacon, and you must now go forth and serve as a hopeful light for others.” He stopped then whispered, “ I don’t remember the last part.” You snorted and decided to continue, you stepped up closer to RWBY and JNR.

“ It is our privilege as Huntsman and Huntresses to protect not only those who cannot defend themselves, but to watch out for each other, always.”

Jaune pretended he had something in his eye and everyone started laughing at him, but they all felt the same Jaune did.

“ Now let’s get out of here.” You said, “ I’m tired.” You started stretching your arms out and yawned.

Everyone soon got up and you headed back to the Academy, you said bye to RWBY and JNOR, as you, Qrow, The Ace-ops and Winter went to the Penthouse.

You laid in bed that night looking at your license and chuckled a bit.

“ A Huntress Now.” 


	22. You held on for life.

“ Y/N” Someone called from outside your room.

You were too tired to do anything, you couldn’t even open your eyes, it was probably 6 AM by the time someone was calling your name.

“ Y/N!” They called again.

“ who is it..” you mumbled, too tired to even speak louder.

“ It’s Vine.” 

“ oh hey Vine.” you said, louder than before but too tired to even move, the sun was barely even up yet, but you didn’t know since you closed every curtain so you wouldn’t wake up to your room shining bright because of Atlas’s snow.

“ We have a briefing in an hour and a half, make sure your up or else Elm will break down your door.” 

You swear you heard him say “ Wouldn’t be the first time.” as he walked away from your room door and you heard some voices.

“ mmmkay.” you said and fell back asleep.

* * *

You woke up to the feeling of someone jumping on your bed really fast.

“ huh?..” You mumbled, face still in the pillow.

“ It’s Harriet, GET UPPP.” She said as she kept jumping up and down on your bed, the bed was still comfy but also uncomfortable with it moving non stop from her jumping and using her semblance.

“ how did you even get in..?” you said, voice muffled by the pillow.

“ I literally guessed CFVY and it worked.” She said, STILL jumping up and down.

You threw your arm up then made some weird movement with your hand and it dropped down as you fell asleep again.

Harriet sighed and got off your bed.

* * *

You slept on your stomach, with your face still in the pillow. but there was something wrong, as if someone was...sitting on you?

You woke up to feeling someone sitting on your back and heard a snicker.

“Who in the damn world is on me?!” You said, voice muffled by the pillow.

Whoever was sitting on you didn’t reply, but you felt something fluffy and soft on your back, moving left to right and the snickers kept coming.

_Son of a bitch_

You groaned and moved your body to the right and you heard Marrow yelp and then there was a thud.

“ Hey!” he pouted, “ S’fine..” you threw your hand up and fell asleep again.

You were a really deep sleeper.

* * *

You woke up to the sound of-

Wait what-

Singing- 

And a guitar-

And it was a familiar voice.

You groaned into the pillow “ Clover what in the god of lights sake are you doing?”

No response, he kept playing then started singing a song.

You groaned again.

“ SO WAKE ME UP WHEN IT’S ALL OVEEEER.” He sang

“ OH MY GODS CLOVER SHUT UP!” You heard Qrow yell from inside the penthouse.

He grumbled and scoffed, “ YOU JUST DON’T LIKE MY GUITAR SKILLS!” he yelled back.

“ NO, IT’S YOUR SINGING DUMBASS” Harriet yelled.

“ LANGUAGE!”

Clover walked out of the room and you listened to the conversation between everyone.

“ Should we bring Penny in?” Qrow asked.

“ if Clover’s singing can’t even get her up, I don’t think Penny can.”

“ Hey!” Clover said, feeling betrayed and mocked by Harriet.

You heard Harriet snort, “ It’s True though.” Vine said.

“ Oh not you too Vine!”

“ Guys, for fucks sake, Elm isn’t even up yet, let’s just wait for her-“

Harriet’s voice faded as you fell asleep again, you haven’t even had a comfortable bed since Beacon fell- actually no, wayyy before that- probably since your first year because you slept on the ground in CFVY’s room.

* * *

You JUMPED up out of your bed when you heard someone kick down your door- like literally down, it was on the floor- 

“ OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! ELM!” You yelled, but honestly you still could barely open your eyes, it was 7:00 AM!

“ WE HAVE A BRIEFING IN 30 MINUTES!” She shouted and walked over to you, and literally scooped you up over her shoulder.

You started punching her back, “ Elm- PUT.ME.DOWN!” You shouted in between each punch, she winced but brushed it off, she was stronger then she looked, like really strong.

“ Eat breakfast then change!” She yelled, changing wasn’t a problem.

You used your semblance to change into your now new Atlas clothes, A light pink long sleeved V-Cut Neck Ribbed Knit Tee,( Yes I changed the outfit.) White jeans, White fingerless leather gloves with a pink cherry blossom flower on them, and your pink and brown hair out.

Your body shimmered White and pink to change you into your Outfit.

Elm shrieked and dropped you. You saw the floor coming and quickly used your semblance to break into glass.

White and Pink shimmered over the kitchen floor and your body appeared-another part of your semblance, if you're about to get hit and you see it coming, you can just break into glass and basically teleport anywhere near you- ( or someone you have a bond with.)

Everyone except Qrow widened their eyes at how you were now standing in the kitchen, and came out of thin air.

“ How did you-“

“ Semblance.” You interjected Elm who now walked out of your room.

* * *

You sat down beside Marrow in the briefing room while the rest of the Ace-ops and 8 kids got hot chocolate or coffee. You watched as Nora put 4 cocoa packets in her hot chocolate, you chuckled a bit, but was surprised how she had the amount of energy to get up early in the morning. She was a deep sleeper yet when she woke up, she immediately acted like Penny’s Wake-up call to everyone.

You were too tired to even function, everyone’s voice faded as you were falling asleep again, your eyes closing slowly.

_“ WAKE UP SLEEPY BUTT!’_

_Y_ ou fell off your chair and shrieked as a voice came from your scroll, you never even turned ADA on or answered any calls.

_Wait, that wasn’t ADA._

Everyone looked at you on the floor, confused and startled from your shriek.

The voice from your scroll winced, _“ Oops! I heard a thud..did you fall off something?”_

You recognized the voice and groaned, you didn’t care at this point that the Ace-ops knew whose voice was coming from your scroll.

“ ROBYN!” You yelled, “ HOW DID YOU EVEN-”

_“ So when you got drunk and I had your scroll, I connected my scroll to ADA and yours, heh, so now I can call you and you don’t even have to answer.”_

“ Robyn I swear to the gods-” You looked around and saw that everyone was now staring at you, only the Ace-ops knew that you got drunk, and they were also the only ones who knew Robyn.

“ Hold on.” You told her and got up from the floor and you walked out of the briefing room ( which for some reason had a kitchen because why not ) ignoring every confused look or shocked ones.

You got out of the room and closed the door, “ Robyn! Not a good time!”

_“ Well that’s what you get when your friends with me.”_ Even though you couldn’t see her face you knew she had a devilish smirk, you gave a frustrated sigh, “ I hate you.” 

_“ You love me “_

You started laughing, you FELT her smirk through the scroll.

You gave up and smiled, “ True true, what do you need?” 

_“ Well you weren’t answering any of our texts-”_

You winced and forgot that last night you put your scroll on silent, “ Shit, sorry, I put my scroll on silent after I got my license-”

_“ YOU GOT YOUR LICENSE?!”_

“ YES!!” You screamed back in excitement, _“ WE ARE PARTYING TONIGHT!” Robyn yelled._

You heard some “ WOO’S” And “ YAAAAA” Come from the scroll, you assumed Robyn was with the Happy Huntresses, Xanthe, Miko, Zedd and Samantha, or-for the quicker version- known as Team XMAS.

X- Xanthe, M- Miko, A- Would be the 2nd letter of Zedd’s last name, They couldn’t find a good team name with the letter Z or R so they just used the 2nd letter, S- Samantha.

XMAS isn’t entirely a color for a team but this is the White Fang so it’s fineeee, team FNKI isn’t even a color.

_“ Anyway, I didn’t call just to talk, even though I probably will at random points just to piss you off.”_

You snorted, she’d probably call you at 2 in the morning and since ADA is connected to both of your scrolls she can literally answer the call from yours.

“ _I HEARD THAT SNORT! Anyway, Xanthe said Councilman Sleet is hosting an Atlas Gala next week, aaaaand you're invited.”_

“ That shouldn’t be much of a problem, other than the fact that James will be there.”

Robyn grumbled and corrected you, “ _General IronBITCH, you should know that by now.”_

_“_ Yea yea, look I gotta go, I’ll call you all later though.”

_“ BYEEEE LOVE YOUUU”_ You heard everyone scream and then heard Fiona and May yell “ _WEAR SOMETHING NICE! THIS IS ATLAS!”_ from the call, you laughed a little then hung up and walked back into the briefing room to find that nothing had started yet and some people were still having breakfast.

You sat back down beside Marrow, even though you were screaming in excitement about 1 minute ago, you were still so tired and your eyes were slowly closing again.

You felt warm steam go up in your face and you smelt cream and sugar, blasphemous amounts of it just like you liked, not as much as Ruby since she puts almost 7 creams and sugars.

You opened your eyes and someone was holding a coffee mug in front of you, you looked to your left and saw Marrow was holding it and giving it to you.

“ You look like you need it, I remember how much you _loved_ coffee with blasphemous amounts of sugar and cream.” He said and you grabbed the mug and chuckled a bit, “ Thanks.” You said and gave him a soft smile.

You met his eyes and locked, the warmth was back, though there was something wrong, behind those eyes you almost saw fear and nervousness, And it wasn’t the nervousness if you were to ever ask your crush out and wait for a response, it was more like the nervousness of having a sense of panic, he was tensed up, and you had a feeling you knew what it was.

_We still need to talk_. The words rang through your head over and over.

You were startled when you heard Clover’s voice and everyone had sat down, a mug still in some people's hands, Marrow looked at Jaune and used his puppy dog eyes to take his coffee.

“ Eyes up, Huntsmen. “ Clover said at the front of the briefing room, he had a holographic screen behind him that showed a few photos of Amity tower and Huntsman and Huntresses that went on missions, he then looked at you and Marrow and chuckled a bit, “ Literally, eyes up. Time to get used to the new normal in Atlas.”

He turned around to the screen and zoomed in on a map of Amity tower, it’s surroundings and the Tundra.

“ Your top priority is Amity Tower. That means protecting supply runs from Grimm and bandits. And protecting the site itself.” 

Wow Atlas and Mantle had bandits, you assumed every other kingdom did but never expected the ‘Perfect and Rich’ kingdom to have bandits.

But now re-thinking that, It’s Atlas, who wouldn’t want to steal from perfect snobby rich people?

“ Diverting all construction resources to Amity Tower means there are going to be gaps in Mantle's defenses against Grimm. They'll need help on the perimeter. But there's still plenty to do in Mantle itself. I think you'll find everyone appreciates having a Huntsman around. “ Clover said, he turned around and started walking around the briefing room to grab some papers. “ You're of course free to enjoy your time off as you see fit. Whatever helps you take the edge off. The Huntsmen around you can be an invaluable resource. If you're willing to pay attention.” 

At this point he was talking to everyone who had just come to Atlas, the Ace-ops must have heard this millions of times, he wouldn’t repeat himself even if he may be the type of person to do that, and you knew from his last line so…

“ But make no mistake, school's over. You get to choose what type of Huntsman or Huntress you are.” Yep, he was definitely talking to the newbies now, he started walking back to the screen, “ So, what's it gonna be?” 

He pulled up a list of a few missions and another list of everyone’s name on the screen and turned back to you all, “ Jaune, I assume you're doing the pre-school escort in Mantle.”

He huffed and glanced at Marrow, “ Yep.” he smacked his lips which made a ‘pop’ noise and Clover chuckled a bit, “ Don’t worry the last person who escorted the children _totally_ loved the job.”

Marrow grumbled at that.

You started laughing, every huntsman who escorted the children hated the job because of all the single moms. You looked at Marrow, “ Were _YOU_ the last person who escorted them?” 

He huffed, “ Yea..”

You started laughing even more and Jaune groaned, “ Don’t worry Jaune, I’m sure with your banana hair, the single moms will love you.”

He groaned even louder, “ There are _those_ moms?! And technically if you make fun of my hair, you're making fun of Blake!” He pouted.

You looked at Blake, “ You did his hair?!” 

  
“ Yep,” She responded, “ I did Ruby’s, I braided Weiss’s hair, trimmed Nora’s, helped Qrow trim it a bit too, helped Ren cut his hair a little shorter and then I cut mine.” 

You were surprised she even had enough time to do everyone’s except You and Yang’s hair, “ Wow.” 

She sighed, “ Yea.”

You looked back at Jaune, “ Blake cut your hair, but who chose the hairstyle?” 

Jaune opened his mouth, then shut it again, then open, then shut it and gave up and nodded his head, “ Touche” 

At this point everyone was laughing, even Clover who soon cleared his throat.

Everyone stopped and looked back at him, he turned around then wrote down on a paper and screen that Jaune would be down in Mantle.

“ Okay, next is supply runs...Weiss and Nora?” he turned his head towards the 2 girls who then glanced at each other, “ Sure” they nodded and shrugged.

“ Okay...Qrow and Ruby?” He looked at the Uncle and his niece and they both nodded.

“ Next...a few people called in about Grimm sightings. “ He pressed something on a screen and it showed about 18 Sabyrs, yeesh that was a lot, “ Marrow, Blake and Ren.” it wasn’t much of a question to see if they wanted to do it, it was more of an order if there was ever a Grimm attack, Huntsman go straight towards it, they don’t chicken out.

He hesitated then called your name, “ Y/N, you’ll go with them and then I want you and Harriet protecting the outer wall once you're done. And Jaune once you're done the escort, you’ll meet up with them for the second Grimm sighting.”

You nodded and so did Harriet and Jaune.

“ Elm, Vine, you’ll go with me to clear some other Grimm sightings, “ Elm and Vine nodded, “ Aight, that’s it. Transports should be here in a bit, Good luck.” 

Everyone soon got up and grabbed their weapons, you swear you saw Clover wink at Qrow when he complimented him on Harbinger.

* * *

While you were sitting in the transport, you were thinking of what Harriet told you about Clover possibly being gay.

Blake being a Bisexual was able to literally sense another one, and ALL of you knew Qrow was also a Bisexual.

You pulled out your scroll and went into notes and wrote a few things down.

* * *

_1- Find out if Clover is gay._

_2- If number 1 is true, get Qrow and Clover together, heh._

_3- find an actual place I can work at, ( probably the diner in mantle )_

* * *

_“_ Harriet probably told you about Clover too, didn’t she?” You were startled by Marrow’s voice who was now sitting on your right and reading your notes while Blake was listening in to the conversation.

“ Ever since the mission and today, Clover has totally been flirting with Qrow.” Blake said.

Ren meditated, but you felt like he was listening in, you could just never read him.

“ About that Mission.” You switched to photos on your scroll and showed them the one of after Qrow fell and Clover had caught him.

Marrow started snickering and Blake snorted, “ Qrow probably won’t even notice if Clover is flirting with him, he’s such a bird brain.” Blake said.

“ And Clover is to gay to function,” Marrow said then paused, “ No I did NOT get that line from mean girls.” 

You snorted, “ You watched mean girls?” 

“ Yea, we do movie night every wednesday and friday. Elm chose it.” 

“ So how close are you with the Ace-ops?” Blake asked.

That-

That was not a good question to ask at this time, you probably already knew the answer, maybe it would be: ‘ oh 4-5 years ago I was in the White Fang and I ditched my family and left for some Atlesians’

“ Well, Clover is…” Marrow glanced at you, and suddenly that nervousness was back again, you didn’t need to look him in the eyes to know he was tense, and he didn’t need to look you in the eye to know you were angry.

Maybe even a little upset…

“ Clover has a confident attitude and is a great leader, I’ve known him for about 5 years before I became an Ace-op..” Marrow left when you were 15, and now you're almost 20! BROTHERS YOUR OLD JEEZ,“ Vine is calm and tranquil but a very sentimental person, and he can actually go crazy if he gets drunk.” You snorted, you kinda wanted to see Vine drunk now.

“ Elm was my mentor, she taught me everything I needed to know, like she was...a big sister.” He hesitated to choose his next words, Xanthe was his older sister for 8 years until he left the fang.

(Authors Note: plEase remember Marrow is 21 and turning 22 in this fanfic )

He continued, “ She’s the stronghold of the team or in other words the ‘big buff’ lady and has a heart of gold.”

Ren chuckled, “ Sounds like Nora.”

You looked across from you and saw that Ren had stopped meditating and was now listening.

“ And Harriet is competitive and quick-witted, she’s been through a lot in her life.”   
  


Suddenly the Airship stopped and you were all in the Tundra.

You all got up and grabbed your weapons and prepared yourself for the cold weather and snow.

The Airship doors opened and a bunch of snow and wind came in and you had to hold on to the handle of the door so the wind wouldn’t end up pushing you back, “ Yea, NEVER gonna get used to this.” 

You all walked out of the transport and walked for what felt like an hour, but was really just 10 minutes, in the Tundra to find the Sabyrs.

It was a whole nest of them.

  
  


Marrow and Ren were already killing the Sabyrs. You looked at Blake and she already knew what you were thinking.

Back at the Vytal Festival when it was Team RWBY VS ABRN. Team RWBY had a team attack where Weiss would use Myrtenaster to bring a wave of ice, Yang would go on it and use her gauntlets to skate on it to get across while Blake ran at her side( She was really fast at running ) and threw her sword at Yang for her to catch while Blake held on to the ribbon. Blake would jump on to Ruby’s Scythe and Ruby would launch her above team ABRN then Blake pulled the ribbon so Yang could get a hit ( literally ) at Team ABRN.

You looked to the side and thank the brothers that luck was on your side today, an Ice wave was out in the Tundra, which you had no idea why it was there because that was kinda unusual but, guess luck was on your side.

You ran towards the ice wave and Blake was already running to it too. You got on and used your semblance, white and pink shimmered over your feet and your ice skates were now on. Your ice skates had white leather and pink laces, just like your rollerblades.

If Ruby or Jaune were here, they’d be able to launch you towards the Sabyr. but since Ruby was on a supply run with Qrow, and Jaune hadn't finished his escort before he came here, you’d have to find another way to launch yourself towards the Sabyrs.

You quickly glanced at Marrow and saw that his weapon-fetch- was as a boomerang right now. If he could throw it towards you at the right time, you could land on it and it could take you towards the Grimm.

“ MARROW!” You yelled, he quickly turned his head after killing a Sabyr. He was confused at first until he looked at Blake and saw that she was running at your side near the ice wave, and that you were holding on to Gambol Shroud ( Blake’s weapon) and Blake was holding on to the ribbon. His eyes lit up and the closer you got to the end of the ice wave, he quickly threw fetch and you used your semblance to take the skates away and into your black boot ankle length heels and jumped off and landed on Marrow’s weapon.

Blake was still holding on to the ribbon and pulled it when you got close to the Sabyrs and you used Gambol shroud to slice through the Sabyrs head and Marrow’s weapon sliced through another one and you back flipped off of Fetch and used Gambol shroud to kill the last Sabyr.

You looked around and saw that there was only one Sabyr left- which Ren was killing- and that Jaune had now appeared. Jaune was assigned to go with you all after you all attacked the first Grimm sighting and then you would go into Mantle and help Harriet protect Mantle’s outer wall.

You went to go greet Jaune until you heard a roar come from above.

You looked up.

You groaned, “ Guys, were not finished.” 

Everyone looked up and saw a Teryx, it was too high for anyone to attack, other than Ren, Blake and Marrow’s gunfire. They started firing but it was as if the Teryx didn’t care at all, and wasn’t affected by it.

It started going towards Mantle.

“ Crap!” Marrow yelled.

Everyone ran towards the Airship but you knew it wouldn’t be fast enough to chase the Teryx.

“ I’ll try and slow it down!” You yelled and everyone looked at you confused.

You took the needle out of Hush and grabbed hold on the handle.

_Please Hush, and the Brothers, don’t fail on me now._

“ Jaune! I need a gravity boost!” Jaune grabbed his shield and you ran towards him, he kneeled and you used the shield as a bouncepad, the gravity launched you about 20 feet into the sky.

You pressed a button on the handle of the needle and the needle quickly departed and a ribbon was in between the 2 pieces of the needle, part of the needle went into the Teryx and it gave a shriek of pain and you held on to the handle tightly as the ribbon started stretching and you were now basically- and almost- soaring through the sky but you were also trying to avoid hitting the icy canyon so you don’t almost break a leg-

Your upgrade with the needle and ribbon was technically like Ren’s, you pressed a button on the handle and the needle would quickly separate into 2 pieces with the ribbon in the middle, the 2nd part of the needle-which was also the one at the end-would shoot towards an object you were aiming it directly at and then the ribbon would stretch.

You held on to Hush in your other hand since you didn’t have the handle to attach to your belt.

A voice appeared in your ear piece, “ Hang on, Y/N!” Blake said

You looked and saw you were close to the canyon wall and the Teryx flew right and you used your feet to run on the canyon wall, “ I DON’T REALLY HAVE A CHOICE!” You yelled and the Teryx flew left and panic filled your body when you saw a really high wall in the canyon, the Teryx was higher in the air but that didn’t change the fact that you were close to hitting the wall.

“ OKAY SOMEONE CATCH HUSH!” You yelled and dropped the parasol down so you could use your other hand to climb up. You saw that Blake was at the edge of the Airship, Jaune holding her so she didn't fall, and had caught Hush.

You made a sigh of relief but the panic then filled your body again when you were getting closer and closer to the wall.

You used your other hand to grab on to the ribbon and you held on for dear life when you started moving your hands up on the ribbon so you could get closer to the Teryx.

The wall got closer and closer which made you climb the ribbon faster and faster.

The wall came and you closed your eyes for a moment, then slowly opened them when you had thankfully got over the canyon wall and saw the Airship still in the air and following you.

You got closer to the Teryx and saw that the part of the Needle was falling out.

NOW you were climbing as fast as Ruby’s semblance to get to the Teryx, but then, the Needle fell out.

Thank the brothers you were at the top when it fell out, you caught the needle in one hand and attached the needle back together in its old form. You then quickly grabbed onto the Teryx's leg then jumped on onto it’s back, and you held on for life when it started going upside down and moving in a bunch of directions.

“ This is probably the craziest thing I’ve done-AAA” You said into the earpiece then yelped when the Teryx went upside down and did a little twirl.

“ I doubt that.” Marrow and Blake both said.

They had a point.

When the Teryx had stopped moving around like crazy and kept going straight without turning its whole body, you crawled up it’s back then sliced through the Teryx’s head.

The Teryx started turning into black and white dust and realized you didn’t have a landing strategy as you were already up in the clouds.

“ BLAKE!” You yelled into the earpiece.

Blake threw gambol shroud into a wall of the canyon and it stuck there, the ribbon stretching and she jumped out of the Airship and caught you as you were following then soared through the sky and back into the Airship.

You both hit the Airship ground and you made a sigh of relief since you were in the Airship, you almost wanted to kiss the ground but that was well….disgusting.

You laid on your back panting like crazy, trying to regain your breath, “ That-“ you paused to pant even more, “ That was one of the craziest and the most fun thing I have ever done.” 

Everyone chuckled a bit. You sat up and looked out the front window at the Airship, and made a sigh of relief to see Mantle and Harriet waiting at Mantle’s broken outer wall.

She waved and the Airship got closer to the ground.

You jumped out and you and Harriet waved everyone goodbye.

Brothers, patrol on Mantle’s outer wall was more relaxing than holding on for dear life about 40 feet in the air. Or just when you could see clouds up close. And not hitting every rock or wall of a canyon.

You stretched your arms and then looked at Harriet who was sitting against the wall.

_Harriet is competitive and quick-witted, she’s been through a lot._ Marrow’s words rang through your head.

Maybe…

This might be a chance to get to know Harriet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> totally did not base this chapter on V8C4


	23. Authors Note.

AUTHORS NOTE, READ IT.

1- Marrow is 21 in this fic, and turning 22.

2- LISTEN, STUFF MAY BE BORING RIGHT NOW, BUT I ACTUALLY PROMISE STUFF WILL GET EVEN MORE EXCITING.

3- Your outfit: White jeans with 2 belts, one that is diagonal and the other in a straight line so you could hold Hush by your side. A pink long sleeve V-Cut Neck Ribbed Knit Tee and then black boot ankle length heels. ( remember your character is based on Neopolitan by looks, semblance ( with a bunch of added aspects ) and uh yea, u just actually talk :). )

4- Semblance: 1. you can break an object which is glass and play around with the shards as if it’s telepathy. 2. You can change into clothes you’ve worn before, not just random ones you’ve seen. 3. Same as 2 but you can change your hair colour and outfit too, but not your eye colour or skin colour. 4. If something is randomly in the air, you can use your telepathy aspect and turn whatever it is, to glass. 5. When your upset and touching something, you can turn it into glass without even knowing, but you won’t even be able to break it. 6. Same as 5 but when ur NOT upset, sad, or angry, you can just turn an object into glass then break it. 7. SAME AS 6 but you can get the glass through an object and also break the object at the same time along with the glass. 8. Don’t think I’ll ever use this aspect in the story, but you can turn people into glass. 9. You can summon Grimm you’ve killed before ( Weiss’s family thing. ) and it would be glass, but you don’t end up doing it for a WHILE. 10. If you're about to get hit and you know and see it coming, you can break into glass and teleport to an area in your sight or something you’ve bonded with if they are in range.

  1. Everything’s basically glass-



  1. You are 19 in this, turning 20 soon, ( yEs you celebrate in the story )



  1. This fic will be a LONG ONE, I have a lot of stuff planned for it, especially CRAZY things, this could go up to like 50 chapters, not joking.



  1. Lmao ur basically Barbie just with brown and pink hair and brown and pink eyes.



  1. Imma just say It, since we don’t know Harriet’s backstory, I made one up for her.



  1. YES YOU WILL TALK WITH MARROW SOON.



  1. note: I have something planned between 2 characters, I wrote it in docs to save it and I just want you to know it almost brought me to tears.



  1. I’m sorry but I’m not good at explaining a lot of stuff or describing things, heh.



14\. THIS IS NOOOT A V7 rewrite, I wanted to make a happy fic with a lot of angst and fluff and just...yea.

  1. Hope everyone is having an awesome time! Volume 8 is now HEREEEE!




	24. Operatives: Harriet.

“ an hour ago I was holding on for life in the sky, now I’m just _watching_.” You said.

Harriet snorted, “ Better get used to this, by working with the General, we will probably have more Outer wall duties.”

You groaned, this was so boring! You were just watching and waiting for something to happen but nothing happened! Trying to avoid hitting rocks of an icy canyon and almost dying was more exciting than this! Well it was scary but still, that was much more fun than standing and waiting for something bad to happen which is likely not gonna happen.

You heard glass breaking in the distance and you and Harriet glanced at each other, you thought it was just someone accidentally breaking a window but then it kept coming, and then there were shouts and a few people yelling.

Qrow, Ruby, Weiss and Nora were out on supply runs while Jaune, Marrow, Ren, Blake, Clover, Elm and Vine were out in the Tundra killing Grimm, so it was only you and Harriet who could check what was happening.

You and Harriet both got up and headed towards the shouts of a few people screaming. You hid your weapons just in case. Technically you couldn’t exactly hide your weapon, other than Harriet who can put her weapon on her back yet you couldn’t, so you just used it as if it was a normal umbrella.

You walked up to a group of men and women, a few were Faunus while the others were human.

“ What seems to be the problem ladies and gentleman?” Harriet asked.

“ These _mutts._ ” One of the ladies said, “ You can tell ‘em to go back where they belong. “ One of the men said, then scoffed.

You looked at the Faunus group, a family, some had Fox ears a few had tails.

Harriet opened her mouth but you spoke, “ Actually I think there right where they are supposed to be.” You said and then walked up towards the group of Faunus-Racials, “ If you have a problem then leave.” 

“ But-“

“ Leave.” You roared and the man flinched, “ I don’t like repeating myself.” You looked the man in his eyes, there wasn’t much space between you too. There was a thick tension in the air. He scoffed, “ Let’s go. “ and the group of Faunus-Racials left. You turned to the family and they had thanked you and Harriet for helping.

The Faunus Fox family had left and you turned your head to Harriet and saw that she was slightly surprised, eyes wide a little. “ Damn.” She said and you chuckled a bit, she checked the time on her scroll, 3:58pm, “ Our patrol ends in 2 minutes, transport doesn’t come till 5, let’s walk.” She suggested and you nodded your head.

You walked around the streets of Mantle, making sure no one else was causing any problems or doing anything stupid.

“ You went a little hard on him.” She said, you turned your head to face her as she kept her head straight and you both kept walking, “ Okay, “ You started and then an idea popped into your head, “ If that was Marrow being yelled at instead then-“

“ NEVERMIND, I see your point.” Harriet interrupted and you both started laughing.

A few minutes went by and it was just complete silence, other then the sound of the wind rushing, people talking and the same thuds of footsteps being repeated over and over.

You were both startled to hear your scrolls beep. You both took them out and saw that it was an image from Clover in the groupchat.

You both opened the groupchat.

“ OH!” You both screamed and looked away from your scroll.

“ WHY THE FUCK WOULD CLOVER SEND THAT?” Harriet yelled.

Clover sent...a...uhm...I think you know….

You both looked back at your scrolls and started messaging Clover in the groupchat.

* * *

_( Lucky-Charm sent an image to the group chat)_

_Lucky-Charm: I DIDN'T MEAN TO SEND THAT!_

_Gotta Go Fast: WHY THE HELL DO YOU EVEN HAVE A PHOTO OF_ THAT

_Barbie: MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHO WERE YOU SENDING THAT TOO?_

_Gotta Go Fast: THAT’S WHAT YOU ARE ASKING? HE JUST SENT A PICTURE OF HIS DICK._

_Barbie: HE IS AT A SCHOOL CONSTANTLY FULL OF HORMONAL TEENAGERS._

_Gotta Go Fast: okay good point._

_Lucky-Charm: Uhm...Elm?_

_Gotta Go Fast: WHAT_

_Barbie: I THINK WE ARE FORGETTING THE FACT THAT HE ACCIDENTALLY SENT IT TO A GROUP CHAT FULL OF TEENAGERS WITH A 17 YEAR OLD GIRL AND A 14 YEAR OLD BOY._

_Gotta Go Fast: OH SHIT_

_Lucky-Charm: LANGUAGE!_

_Gotta Go Fast: CLOVER, THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO WORRY ABOUT SWEARING._

_Barbie: HE’S NOT A MODERATOR, HE CAN’T DELETE IT._

_Gotta Go Fast: DELETE GCDELETEITSELETEOTDELEYEITDELEYEEKJEJDJCJSJD_

_( Barbie removed: Farm Boy, Bookworm, Firecracker, Birb man, Vine, Marrow, Hammer Time, ThunderBolt, Vomit Boy, Crater Face, Ice princess, Jimbo, Ice queen, Lucky-Charm, Ninja, Spiderman, The Grimm Reaper, Gotta Go Fast, and Nickels.)_

_Thread has been closed._

* * *

You and Harriet looked up from your scrolls and then looked at each other, eyes wide.

A moment passed and you both started bursting out with laughter. You both couldn’t even stop and tried to catch your breath but you kept laughing.

You wiped the tears of laughter from your eyes, “ That-“ you paused to laugh a little more, “ That was just-“

“ CRAZY? STUPID? CLOVER?” Harriet interjected and you both kept laughing.

You both walked on the streets of Mantle again, “ Thank god Oscar didn’t see that.” You said.

She chuckled, “ He would have been scarred for the rest of his life.”

“ Believe me, he’s been scarred from a lot of other stuff.” Your face fell as you said the words. Oscar has been through a lot In his life, losing his parents from a Grimm attack, having to suffer from the burden Oz has left him and all the pressure, getting attacked by Hazel and well, everything else.

“ Soo…” You broke the moment of silence, “ Did you grow up in Atlas?” 

“ Nope.” She responded and then stood in place, “ I grew up right here!” She threw her arms up, “ in Mantle!” She yelled.

“ Really? So you weren’t raised by those snobby rich people up in the clouds?” You asked.

“ Nope!” She continued walking, “ My dad raised me in Mantle.” She said.

“ What about your mom?”

“ Gone, “ she responded to your question, “ When I was 3 she left. I only have pictures of her from when she was with my dad.” 

“ Oh..”

She gave a deep sigh, “ Yep.” She said and smacked her lips which made a ‘pop’ noise, “ I have her eyes, her hair, and according to my dad, I have her competitiveness.” She chuckled a bit and you did too, “ What about your dad?” You asked. “ Skin colour.” She responded.

You both looked at your scrolls and saw that it was 4:55, “ Let’s head to the transport area.” You said. You started walking but then turned your head to see that she was still standing in the same place from before, “ You go, I’m gonna go visit my dad.” She said.

You nodded your head, “ Okay.” You breathed out and smiled.

You got to the transport and sat down as the Airship started heading up to Atlas.

Then you realized.

You still haven’t made a new group chat yet.

You quickly pulled out your scroll.

* * *

_( Y/N L/N added, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long, Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, Oscar Pine, Qrow Branwen, Clover Ebi, Vine Zeki, Elm Ederne, Harriet Bree, Marrow Amin, Maria Calavera, Penny Polendina, Pietro Polendina, Winter Schnee, and James Ironwood.)_

_Oscar Pine: Uh...what happened to the old gc?_

_Oscar Pine: also am I supposed to b here?_

_Oscar Pine: like I’m assuming this is for you guys to talk abt missions and amity._

_Oscar Pine: and since uh, I’m not helping with all that._

_Y/N L/N: Oscar shut up before I come to your dorm room and slap some sense into you._

_Y/N L/N: It’s a gc my dude, everyone deserves to be here, and ofc you are helping with everything. Just because you didn’t get your license doesn’t mean you're not one of us yet. You're strong and always know what the right thing to do is. Your basically a huntsmen._

_Oscar Pine: well I mean technically I’m only here because of Ozpin and uh, yea._

_Qrow Branwen: OSCAR._

_Oscar Pine: yes_

_Y/N L/N: I’m on my way to hug you._

_Oscar Pine: uh_

_Y/N L/N: shuddup, when I get to the academy I will storm into your dorm and hug you, you adorable little freckled pipsqueak._

_Qrow Branwen: but why was the group chat deleted before?_

_Y/N L/N: you can ask Clover._

_Y/N L/N: Okay Oscar, when I get into the Academy, and then put my stuff in the penthouse, I will come to the dorm and give you a squeeze._

_Oscar Pine: I’m uh, actually about to have a talk with Ironwood, he said smthin abt training and Oz and uh teaching and uhm yea._

_Y/N L/N: FINE, BUT WHEN UR DONE I WILL STORM UR DORM._

_Y/N L/N: hey that rhymed._

* * *

You got out of the transport and looked at Atlas Academy and you set your eyes at the top of the building. You looked at the window of the penthouse and saw a familiar shape of a person...Marrow. You looked back down and started walking up the steps outside the Academy and then went inside of the very, very tall building. You looked at the elevator that would take you straight towards the penthouse.

You gave a deep sigh and looked down.

“ Time for the talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heh, sorry this was kinda short.


	25. The Talk.

You were in the elevator that would head up to the penthouse. You were shaking a little, you were panicking inside, and you were tense. You thought you would be fine during the talk, just a small one where you would discuss the problem. But clearly from all your shaking and panicking, you were NOT ready for this talk.

The elevator door beeped and then opened, you took in the sight of the gigantic penthouse, but no one was in it. You walked in, no one was sitting in the living room, there were no video game sounds, and there was no smell of pizza or fro-yo.

“ Ugh!” You heard a familiar voice grunt, you walked in further and headed towards Marrow’s room. His door was opened and his back was faced to you. He was holding a brush and it seemed like he was trying to brush his...tail?

“ Marrow?” You called, he turned his body towards you and dropped the brush to the ground. There was a look of embarrassment on his face, “ Oh..uh..hey!” He grabbed the brush and hid it behind his back, you chuckled a bit, “ Do you need help..?” You asked. He looked at his tail, then the brush and looked back at you. He wanted to protest, he opened his mouth then shut it then opened it again, he sighed, “ Yea.” He breathed out.

You chuckled and walked into his room. Growing up with Faunus meant helping with their Faunus traits, you’ve helped Neon with her cat tail, you helped Blake clean her cat ears ( Yes that’s something she has to do.), and helped Marrow brush his tail back in the Fang before he left.

He sat down criss cross apple sauced ( HEHE ), and you sat down behind him, he put his hand over his shoulder, he was holding the brush and you took it from his hand. You started brushing lightly, doing the same movement you always did back in the Fang, you also did the most tangled spots first, just like Xanthe did.

He winced, “ Sorry!” You squeaked, and he chuckled a bit, “ It’s fine.” He said. You kept brushing and after a minute of silence Marrow spoke up, “ Are you still-“

“ No.” You interrupted, “ I left the day before I went to Beacon.”   
  


“ Did Sienna just let you leave?” He asked in disbelief. Joining the White Fang meant no leaving, you could only escape. “ No, Sammie and your sis-“ You stopped when you felt him tense up when you were about to say ‘sister’, “ Sammie and Xanthe helped me escape.” You couldn’t see his face but you knew he was frowning, he felt empty and he looked down, his happiness left his body. “ Are they-“

“ They are.” You interrupted again. You knew all the answers to his questions and you knew what his questions were.

He tensed up again, “ I saw them, the first night I came here.” You said. 

He turned his body around and you removed the brush from his tail, “ So I wasn’t hallucinating when I saw their names on the ‘In Range’ board?” He asked. You sighed, “ No, they're here, down in Mantle.” Your eyes met and he had a look of sympathy in his eyes, “ They never got the chance to leave.” You tried to remind him of what he did years ago. “ I didn’t have a choice.” He said and looked down. You couldn’t even believe what he was saying, “ You did!” You hissed and he brought his head back up, he stood and started walking around. “ Are you really calm about this?” He asked.

You didn’t know how to answer that, you weren’t calm at all! You didn’t want to cause a big fight with Marrow. He closed the door of his room, great, you were trapped.

“ I’m not calm Marrow, “ You stood up and walked to the couch in his room that he was now sitting on. “ Then why are you acting like you are?” He asked.

You looked him into the eyes, “ When you left, I don’t think you understood how angry I was, and I can’t believe I’m even admitting this but I went to Beacon so I had a chance to find you…” You paused and looked away, “ I went to Beacon to learn how to kill Huntsman.” You admitted. He widened his eyes “ What..?” He breathed out. “ And not just to learn how to kill them, I wanted to kill _you.”_ He quickly stood up and threw his hands up in surrender and started to back up. You scoffed, “ I’ve changed dumbass. I’m not gonna kill you.” He made a quick sigh of relief and put his hands back to his side.

But he still didn’t wanna stand near you.

You took his old spot on the couch, your back facing him. “ I stopped worrying about me a long time ago.” You said and you felt his eyes on you, “ I dedicated my life to finding you, to _killing_ you, but I mean now, I just don’t know.” 

“ So you're calm?” He asked.

“ I’m not calm!” You snapped and stood up to face him.

“ Okay..don’t get angry, calm down!” 

“ Don’t tell me to calm down!” You yelled and had your fists clenched.

You wanted to scream at him, you honestly wished you had Yang’s semblance so you could light him on fire while you're mad. But even if the Ace-ops weren’t done with their missions, you still had to stay calm, “ I am not angry..” You paused and walked towards him, “ I am in pain!” You were on the verge of crying and started poking at his chest, “ And YOU PUT ME HERE!” You yelled, you even heard your voice breaking, “ The person who was supposed to love me more than anything..” You walked away and sat back down on the couch. 

You heard his footsteps, “ Listen Y/N I am so sorry… and if I could, I swear to the brothers I would go back in time to stay with you. But I can’t, _I_ made a mistake that I can’t fix.” 

He walked to the couch and sat down beside you. “ I thought about you every single day-“

“ Did you?” You interrupted and asked in disbelief. He widened his eyes, “ Of course I did!” 

You scoffed, “ Even if you had a new number, you still remembered _mine._ You could of called or messaged when the CCT was up but you _didn't._ “ His eyes stayed wide and you saw tears in those light blue eyes.

“I-”

“ You know what really sucks?” You asked, he stayed quiet because he knew you would interrupt him again. You gave a deep sigh and looked him into the eyes, “ You _broke_ me. You broke my heart, and I hate you, because I can’t stay mad at you for that, and I hate myself even more for it.” You stood up and walked towards the door, Marrow still had his eyes wide but kept quiet.

He finally spoke up then stood up from the couch and walked towards you to grab your arms and stop you from reaching the door, “ Listen, I-I did a terrible and horrible thing, and I wish I could go back to stay with you but I _can’t.”_ He choked out, his voice was even cracking.

“ Please- just-please, I am so sorry that I left you, can you just please _forgive me.”_

You looked him into the eyes, your vision was blurry from the tears. “ There are those who can forgive people _many_ times.” You smiled and hugged him and he returned the hug, he was so happy that you forgave him...well...at least that’s what he thought.

You frowned.

“ But I’m just not one of them.” You breathed out. You felt him freeze and you broke the hug.

You put a hand on his shoulder, “ The others should be back soon.” 

You opened his room door then left and closed it. He had no words.

You started walking to your room when you heard the elevator beep. You looked at the elevator and 6 people came- Clover, Elm, Vine, Qrow, Winter and Harriet.

You faked the smile on your face, “ Hey guys! How were the missions?” Everyone put their weapons down, the Ace-ops and Qrow were sooo tired but Winter seemed fine since she was at James’ side all day.

They walked to the living room and they all sat down. “ TIRED!” They all yelled out and you flinched then chuckled a bit. “ Are you joining us for movie night Y/N? It’s friday!” Winter asked in excitement.

People saw Winter as a spoiled lady and no one who’s fun at all, but really, she was fun. She was like Vine; Calm and Sentimental but also sensitive, and after the job, she and Vine were just really fun.

“ Not sure I think-”

“ NOT SURE?” Elm screamed. 

“ Yes..?” You squeaked.

“ If you're not back by 10 then I will tear through the academy to find you.” Elm said and by the look in her eyes, she wasn’t joking. You looked at Vine, “ Has-” 

“ Yes, she has done that before.” He confirmed.

You nervously chuckled, “ Heh...okay..” 

You looked at Clover in the eyes who had an EMBARRASSED look on his face from what happened earlier, but he was also looking into deep crimson eyes, it was almost like he was locked in them, unaware of the conversation. You couldn’t wait for Qrow to realize Clover has been flirting with him.

  
  


You smiled, “ I’ll be back for movie night.” You assured them and then left the penthouse.

  
  


The elevator doors beeped and you walked out of the elevator and into the academy then down the dorm halls, looking for JNPR’s dorm room.

You walked up the dorm and you were about to knock on it until the doors opened by themselves. You smiled as a familiar friend was leaving the room, “ Hey James.” His face softened, “ Hello Y/N, What are you doing here?” He asked, “ Oh just gonna have a talk with Oscar.” You informed and he nodded, moving out of the way so you could go into the dorm and he waved goodbye.

You looked at the beds and saw the shape of the body under the blankets on the bottom bunk of the beds, you chuckled and walked up to Oscar, “ Oscaaaaar?’ You whispered.

“ I’m not asleep.” He said and you knew he was deadpanning. He sat up and you sat on the bed beside him and gave him a squeeze. “ Y/N!’ He gasped out, “ Can’t...breathe…” 

“ Oh!” You quickly let him go and he caught his breath, but he smiled, “ Thanks...I needed that.”

You weren’t done You gave him another hug and he laughed into it.

You sat beside him and rested your back on the wall of the bunk bends then pulled your scroll out and opened the groupchat.

* * *

_Y/N L/N: NICKNAME TIME!_

_Nora: WOOO_

_( Nora Valkyrie changed their nickname to Thunderbolt)_

_( Qrow Branwen changed Y/N L/N’s nickname to Mary Poppins.)_

_Mary Poppins: wow_

_( Qrow Branwen changed Winter Schnee’s nickname to Ice queen.)_

_Ice queen: Great._

_( Ruby Rose changed Qrow Branwen’s nickname to Birb man.)_

_Clover: why birb- is it cuz of his name?_

_Ruby: don’t worry about it hehehe_

_Blake: Uh why was the gc deleted before?_

_James: I saw something that I shouldn’t have_

_Mary Poppins: LMFAOOO_

_Clover: great, who else saw_

_Ice queen: I hate to say this, but I did._

_Clover: OH MY GOD WINTER UR LITERALLY ACROSS FROM ME_

_Clover: U MADE IT MORE EMBARRASSING._

_Ice queen: I’M SORRY_

_Mary Poppins: HAHAHAHA_

_Vine: I did too._

_Clover: OH- FOR BROTHERS SAKE-_

_Mary Poppins: I’M LAUGHING SO HARD RN, AND OSCAR IS SO CONFUSED_

_Oscar: I’m right beside you, wth happened earlier._

_Mary Poppins: DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT_

_Harriet: You would have been scarred for LIFE_

_Clover: it was bold of you to make a new gc from after what happened._

_Yang: WHAT HAPPENED_

_Birb man: Cloves, wtf happened._

_Mary Poppins: CLOVES_

_( Mary Poppins changed Clover Ebi’s nickname to Birb simp.)_

_Birb man: wow._

_( Birb simp changed their nickname to Lucky-Charm)_

_Elm: I, Elm Ederne, sadly, saw it._

_Weiss: WHAT IS ‘IT’?_

_James: I would like to inform you all about something._

_Birb man: What is it jimmy?_

_James: So, Councilman Sleet is hosting a gala in 2 days…_

_Birb man: NOPE_

_Birb man: YOU KNOW I DON’T DO DANCES OR GALAS_

_Birb man: NOT EVER SINCE FROM WHAT HAPPENED AT THE VYTAL FESTIVAL DANCE._

_Jaune: WHAT HAPPENED AT THE DANCE LMAO_

_Birb man: THAT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS._

_James: He did the same as you did Jaune, he wore a dress and then fell down the ballroom steps and he hit his..er…_

_Jaune: HAHAHAAHA_

_Ice queen: I’m sending a letter to Glynda to see if she has a video of it._

_James: Glynda has been constantly sending letters about how Vale is._

_Ren: How is Vale?_

_James: Well the letters always say,_ “This is constant bullshit, the Grimm keep coming and I swear to the brothers I will use my whole damn semblance just to keep them away, THIS IS A SHIT HOUSE” _I’d offer if she needed help but she always sent that she was fine._

_Ruby: I would yell at you for swearing, but technically that was Glynda so_

_Mary Poppins: Oscar won’t stop asking me about what happened before the gc got deleted._

_Mary Poppins: HE’S USING HIS PUPPY DOG EYES._

_Ruby: RUNRUNRUNRUNRUN_

_Mary Poppins: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA_

_Mary Poppins: @Jaune, @Ren @Thunderbolt where r u guys_

_Jaune: Putting 3 casseroles in the fridge in the common room._

_Mary Poppins: …?_

_Ren: The moms loved Jaune._

_Mary Poppins: HAHA_

_Harriet: SUCKS TO BE YOU JAUNE_

_James: I would like you all to come, to show Atlas the new protectors other than the Ace-ops._

_James: Plus, this should be fun, it’s a chance to dress up and for me to not die of boredom._

_James: And, Jacques will be there, so I actually need a distraction so I don’t accidentally kill him._

_Ice queen: Wow sir, I’ve never heard you say that in my entire life._

_Ice queen: Yet, it’s Jacques so I can understand._

_Vine: HA_

_( Mary Poppins changed Vine Zeki’s nickname to Stretchy Man.)_

_Stretchy Man: okay then._

_( Mary Poppins changed Elm Ederne’s nickname to Hammer Time.)_

_( Mary Poppins changed Harriet’s nickname to The Speedster)_

_( Mary Poppins changed James Ironwood’s name to Jimbo)_

_( Mary Poppins changed Maria Calavera’s nickname to The Grimm Reaper)_

_( Mary Poppins changed Pietro Polendina’s nickname to Spider-chair)_

_( Mary Poppins changed Marrow Amin’s nickname to Doggo.)_

_Lucky-Charm: where is Marrow by the way?_

_Mary Poppins: in his room._

_The Speedster: Well he’s been in there for a LONG time, he always comes out when we come back from missions._

_Hammer Time: I’ll go check on him._

_( Jaune Arc changed Ruby Rose’s nickname to Crater Face.)_

_Crater Face: Great_

_( Yang Xiao Long changed Jaune Arc’s nickname to Banana Boy.)_

_Banana Boy: WOW_

_( Blake Belladonna changed Yang Xiao Long’s nickname to Firecracker.)_

_( Firecracker changed Blake Belladonna’s nickname to Bookworm.)_

_( Crater Face changed Oscar Pine’s nickname to Little Wizard.)_

_Little Wizard: sjxnswiiejdnwjd_

_( Thunderbolt changed Lie Ren’s nickname to Ninja.)_

_Ninja: understandable._

_Crater Face: WE HAVE 2 NINJAS_

_Bookworm: actually 3._

_Little wizard: 3?_

_Bookworm: Me, Ren and Y/N._

_Little Wizard: Y/N? How?_

_Mary Poppins: look to your side Oscar._

_Little Wizard: WOAH, where did you go?_

_Mary Poppins: Now look to your right._

_Little Wizard: how in the-_

_Bookworm: ninja._

_Mary Poppins: I MASTERED Stealth and Security classes back at Beacon for 2 years STRAIGHT._

_Ninja: so she’s a ninja._

* * *

You looked up from your scroll and then looked at Oscar.

You remembered that James had told you and Qrow about an indoor garden, “ Oscar?” You called, He turned his head towards you, “ Yea?” he responded.

You put your hand out, “ Come.”

He wasn’t hesitant and took it immediately. You led him to the gardens and he was amazed by all the colourful flowers and how gigantic the indoor garden was, you were even amazed too, this was nothing compared to the Beacon garden.

It was filled with flowers of different colours, the glass for the indoor garden wasn’t entirely see through, the garden was dimmed so only the colours of the flowers could stand out.

Oscar walked up to a bush with a few flowers and kneeled to look closer. The bush had beautiful Starflowers and red roses, he was interested in a single red rose.

“ Maybe I should give this to Ruby..” he said. it was a little bit too quiet so it must have been a thought said out loud. “ I think you should.” You said, “ I’m sure she’d love it.”

He nodded and smiled, “ Yea.” He breathed out, “ she would.” And took the flower. 

You walked around the garden with Oscar, looking at all the flowers of different colours, “ Are you okay?” You asked, “ Yea.” He assured, “ It’s just..” he was hesitant and shook his head, “ Nevermind, it’s not important.”

You put a hand on his shoulder and you both stopped walking. You looked him into the eyes, “ Oscar, everything you tell us is important.” You said then he smiled and it looked like there were tears in his eyes, “ It’s...Qrow.”

“ Qrow?” You asked, confused but then widened your eyes, “ Oscar, I already told you, he doesn’t hate you.”

“ He punched me into a tree.” He deadpanned.

“ Oscar, that was because of Oz.” You told him this many times but he still never believed you. “ Everything is about Oz!” He snapped and threw his arms up and started walking with his fists clenched. You stood where you were, watching him walk away in concern. He stopped, then turned around, “ I don’t think you understand what I’ve been through! I never would have been here with you all if it weren’t for Oz! And now he’s gone and when I walk past Qrow in the hall it’s like he just gives me a stink-eye each time he sees me, he hates me!” Tears were streaming down his cheeks. He gave out a sob.

It was painful seeing him like this, he was only 14, yet pressured with so much, he was turning 15 in a few days. “ Your right, I-I don’t understand, but Oscar I promise you that Qrow doesn’t hate you, and even if you don’t believe me, I will keep telling you. “ You walked up towards him and pulled him into a hug, he cried into your chest, “ But we love you, I understand you’ve been through so much, but I’m telling you that we’re here for you no matter what, Qrow will be there for you no matter what.” You chuckled a bit before you said your next words, “ He’s basically an uncle or dad to all of us.” 

He kept crying and he hugged you tighter, he needed someone so bad right now, “ Thank you.” He choked out and you hugged him tighter.

You broke the hug and checked the time on your scroll. It was 6:02, 4 hours until movie night. Robyn had texted you about meeting up at 7 to celebrate getting your license. You looked back at Oscar.

Maybe you could tell...1 more person.

“ I want you to meet some people.” 


	26. Oscar, meet team XMAS.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALSO REMEMBER THAT YOUR CHARACTER IS BASED ON NEOPOLITAN  
> The next few chapters will be kinda short, but they will start getting long.

“ So where are we going?’

“ Oscar you asked me that 3 times already.”

“ I trust you Y/N, but I’m also scared of you.”

You stopped pushing Oscar and he turned around. You deadpanned at him. “ I’m not getting you into any crazy stuff” You paused, “ Sort of..”

“ Y/N!” 

“ I’M JOKING!” 

He turned around and you kept pushing him, “ You don’t have to push me you know.” He said.

“ I have a feeling you're gonna try running.” 

He nodded, understanding that he would have tried to run away.

You both got to the steps outside of the academy and you stopped pushing him so you could both walk down. It was still early, so a few guards and Atlesian knights were outside the academy. You and Oscar got into a Manta which, sadly, had someone in the pilot seat so you couldn’t use ADA, nor could you say where exactly you were going.

Atlas Personnel was informed about General Ironwood's new helpers other than the Ace-ops. James had also had a few forms filled out that whoever was under 18, which meant Oscar and Ruby, would have to have a legal guardian with them if ever going to Mantle ( Unless it were a mission). Either Qrow, The Ace-ops, you or Atlas Personnel. 

“ How can I help you fella’s?” The Pilot asked. “ Can you take us down to Mantle?” You asked. The Pilot looked at Oscar and you followed his gaze, “ Yes I’ll take care of him.” You assured him and the Pilot nodded. He raised the Manta up into the air and flew it down towards Mantle.

  
  


The Manta landed and you and Oscar thanked the pilot, you both stepped out and watched the Manta fly back up to Atlas. You looked at Oscar who had a confused look on his face, “ Why are we in Mantle?” He asked. You smiled and ruffled his hair then started walking and he followed, “ Were not _staying_ in Mantle, were going to the Slums.” You informed, “ The Slums? Why?” He asked.

You groaned, “ You are just full of questions aren’t you?” You looked at him and he smiled sheepishIy “ I said I wanted you to meet some people.” You said. He walked a little faster to catch up to you and walked beside you, “ But _who?_ “ He asked.

“ I said it was a surprise!” You hissed and he flinched. You laughed a little, “ But since it’s a long walk to the Slums because the Pilot literally flew to the EDGE of Mantle...I guess i’ll tell you.” His eyes lit up in excitement. “ Remember when we got arrested?” You asked and he scoffed, “ Duh. “ He said and you stuck your tongue out at him and he did the same, “ Remember that dude who wouldn’t stop jumping and he mentioned something about Happy Huntresses.” He nodded his head, “ I want you to meet them.” He stopped in his tracks.

“ You _know_ them?!” He asked yelling, causing the attention of people walking by. You shushed him and he gave a quiet and awkward apology, “ Yes I do.” You confirmed, “ How?!” That question scared you. You didn’t just want to run up to Oscar and say ‘hey I’m the leader of the White fang, meet my friends.’ You’d rather show him the Slums, the base, team XMAS and the Happy Huntresses, but before he could run to tell the others you had to explain EVERYTHING to him so he wouldn’t tell anyone. You were trusting Oscar with this secret, and hopefully you can trust him not to tell anyone.

“ My feet are getting tired.” He threw his arms up and you scoffed, “ Oscar you literally walked in a forest while it was snowing for 4 hours, we’ve only been walking for 15 minutes!” You said and he stuck his tongue out at you and you flicked his nose softly and lightly.

You heard a few yells and you groaned. You and Oscar went down an Alleyway and followed the shouts. You saw another family of Faunus being yelled at by Faunus-Racials. You groaned again and you were about to go towards them but you were startled to see a mech fly down and land into the ground and the Faunus-Racials got scared. It was a medium sized Mech, it wasn’t gigantic like Cordovin’s mech back in Argus, it was maybe 3 metres tall, “ Citizens, please disperse.” The Faunus-Racials ran away.

You were confused then looked at Oscar who was smiling, “ Since Penny only protects Mantle when Grimm attacks, there’s also someone who goes by the name ‘Samurai X’, no one knows who they are but they protect Mantle from just small problems.” Oscar explained. “ Ohhh.” You understood. 

You and Oscar decided to get back on route to the Slums.

You got to the Slums. He had a look of sympathy in his eyes as he saw all the Faunus, past abused ones or homeless ones. You walked up to a gigantic building, though to him, it looked abandoned. “ Why are we at an abandoned building?” He asked and you chuckled then put the password in on the screen outside the door and it automatically opened. He gave a gasp and it made you laugh a little, you nodded your head towards the entrance of the door so he could go in front of you.

He walked into a long hall, the only light there was, was a glass chandelier with lights that were dimmed. He walked further into the hall and you were a few feet behind him. The walls had different colours of glass-which you did- and he put his hand over the wall. It was as colourful as the garden just with no flowers.

You walked up to the same Fox Faunus guarding the door, the Fox was confused to see Oscar but his face softened to see you, “ Ah, High Leader L/N, Welcome back, you and your friend are free to come in.” He said and he ruffled Oscar’s hair. Guess people had a thing for ruffling young people’s hair. He opened the door and Oscar gasped in amazement to see hundreds of Faunus laughing and smiling. Some of them were training yet they all stopped when you entered.

“ Y/N!” A few people yelled, they were happy to see their leader-no sorry- their friend.

Oscar took in the sight of Glass columns and chandeliers, decorations with different colours of glass, he was amazed. He turned to you, “ What is this place!?” He asked, yelling. He didn’t seem mad, he was amazed.

“ I-”

“ Y/N!” Samantha yelled from the stairs, she walked down with Miko, Zedd and Xanthe.

Xanthe was a very tall young lady, she had brown hair and amber eyes, she was a bear faunus and her trait was ears. She knelt down a little and looked at Oscar. “ And Who’s this?” She said in a childish voice and started ruffling Oscar’s hair which Oscar started laughing a little at how many times his hair was ruffled today. Xanthe was a caring person, if she ever saw anything cute she would immediately run to it. She was like Pyrrha and Elm. She was the Stronghold of the team with a heart of Gold and if there was ever the smallest chance at helping someone, then it was a chance worth taking. That’s what you admired about her.

“ Ohoho, look who’s here! Huntress L/N!” Robyn teased and she walked down the stairs with the rest of the huntresses. Fiona was also the same as Xanthe when it came to the heart of gold, yet not the Stronghold, that was more of Joanna’s thing. “ Aww! Look at you!” Fiona said in a baby voice and pinched the side of his cheek lightly. Oscar could only laugh and May just rolled her eyes at how soft Fiona was.

“ That is Oscar, one of my friends.” You informed, “ Oh the 14-year old?” Miko asked and Oscar nodded his head and you turned to Oscar, “ Oscar, meet team XMAS!” You said and spread your hands out towards the 4 members of the team.

“ That’s Xanthe.”

“ Hey!”

“ This is Samantha.”

“ Nice to meet you.”

“ Miko.”

“ Sup.”

“ And Zedd.”

“ Hello.”

“ Nice to meet you all!” Oscar said and they all nodded in agreement. You turned your body towards the Happy Huntresses, “ and these are the Happy Huntresses.” 

“ I’ve heard about you! “ Oscar jumped up, “ P.S the general hates you guys.” And the Happy Huntresses smirked, “ Believe me, we know.” May said. 

“ That’s Robyn.” You introduced her.

“ Hey Freckles.”

You chuckled, “ She always has nicknames for people.” 

“ That’s May.”

“ Hey.”

“ Fiona.”

“ Hi!”

“ And this is Joanna.”

“ Hello.”

“ We’re the Happy Huntresses!” Robyn said and then looked at Xanthe. “ And we are team XMAS!” Xanthe said, and all the members of the teams nodded. “ Well it’s nice to meet you all.” And they smiled in agreement. 

Oscar turned to you, “ But really...where are we?” He asked and you looked around and pointed at a wall with a White Fang symbol. He turned around and his eyes widened a little then he turned back to you, “ A White Fang symbol?” He had a confused look on his face and you smiled, “ Let’s take a walk.” You said and nodded your head towards another very, very long hallway and he headed towards it. You then looked at team XMAS and happy huntresses and gestured for them to follow you.

You and Oscar started walking down the hallway, he took in the sight of more and more White Fang symbols and hundreds of Faunus. You passed by a few dorm rooms and training yards. There were a few minutes of silence, the only sounds were Faunus walking by or training and Yours, Oscars, Team XMAS’s, and the Happy Huntresses footsteps. The Happy Huntresses and Team XMAS weren’t far behind you and Oscar.

Oscar broke the silence, “ Are you gonna talk…?” 

You gave a deep sigh, “ When I was a baby, my parents abandoned me in Vale.” Oscars attention was on you but you kept your gaze straight, “ And someone found me. Blake’s dad.” Oscar gave a surprised gasp, “ Ghira?” He asked and you nodded.

“ He found me and took me to a building, and to my surprise, it was a White Fang base. “ You felt Team XMAS’s smile from a few feet behind you. “ I grew up in the White Fang, alongside team XMAS and Adam Taurus.” Oscar couldn’t hear exactly what you said next,“ May he Rest In Peace.” You whispered.

He gestured for you to continue, “ But when Ghira stepped down as leader, a lot of stuff started changing.” You didn’t want to say Marrow was in the White Fang. You weren’t sure if he told the rest of the Ace-ops. “ And one day, I was in Vale and I met Ozpin, and he asked if I would like to come to Beacon.” Oscar smiled a little, “ I...remember that.” He said, “ it’s one of Oz’s memories that I have.” 

You smiled, “ So I escaped the White Fang and went to Beacon.” You paused as your face fell, “ But recently, something has changed.” His smile turned into a confused smile, same with the look on his face. You stopped walking and he did too. Team XMAS and the Happy Huntresses caught up. You put a hand on his shoulder, “ Oscar what you're about to hear is probably, well, crazy, but you have to promise me that you won’t tell anyone.” You said and he was hesitant but then nodded. “ I’m the leader of the Fang.” He widened his eyes in shock and surprise.

“ What?” He breathed out and then started stuttering, “ I-I mean- what- how- when- why- I- HOW?” You started laughing from his stutters and he stopped and gave you a serious face, “ I’m not joking!” He yelled and that made you stop laughing, “ Were you the leader during the Fall of Beacon!?”

“ OH- BY THE BROTHERS- NO! OSCAR! I WOULD NEVER PLAN THAT ATTACK!” You shouted and he made a sigh of relief and you started walking again, he soon followed with XMAS and the Huntresses, “ The White Fang needed someone. Someone to fight for them, and that person was me. Of course Adam could have but his perspective was...different.” Oscar nodded in understanding and you stopped walking again, “ I won’t cause anything like the old leader did. All I want to do is protect and help the Faunus.” You put a hand on his shoulder and gave a deep sigh.

“ The White Fang is my family, and I turned my back on them when I left. So I came back. You don’t betray family.” The look in Oscar’s eyes still worried you. He looked scared. “ Sienna and Adam always used to say: ‘If no one's going to do anything to stop the humans that attack us, then the only choice we have left... is to attack back’ And every leader has probably followed that rule, but I won’t attack back like they did. I just want peace and equality. I don’t want humans to fear the Faunus.” You looked back at Team XMAS who was smiling wide. 

You looked back at Oscar and his face softened and he didn’t seem so scared anymore. “ Just promise me you won’t do anything stupid?” He asked and you smiled. He wasn’t scared of you, he was just scared you would get hurt. You hugged him, “ I promise, but you have to promise not to tell anyone. I trusted you with my secret, so _I trust_ that you won’t tell anyone.” He hugged you back.

“ I promise.” He assured you.

“ Soo, can we party now..?” Robyn asked and you could only laugh since she has the audacity to say that at the worst timing. “ We can.” You said and everyone started cheering. “ BUT!” You broke the hug and put a finger up, “ I have a Gala to prepare for.” Everyone groaned, “ I want you all to come with me to the Gala.” And everyone’s eyes lit up in excitement other than Oscar since he was already invited. 

“ Wait how do you hide your identity?” Oscar asked.

Ah, there was a rule that every leader had to follow: Never show your identity to the world. 

That was exactly why we had masks when everyone started attacking and started rioting. And since the White Fang caused the Fall of Beacon and the Attack of Haven. It wasn’t safe to show your real identity to anyone. The Council had given the White Fang one last chance and if they screwed up...shit would have gone real bad.

You looked at Samantha, “ Samantha’s semblance is similar to an aspect of mine.” You walked towards her and grabbed her hand and blue and white shimmered over her body and then- there were 2 of you!

“ Woah!” Everyone except the remainder of team XMAS was amazed. “ Pretty cool huh?” Samantha said, yet it was hard to tell who was who because she had your exact same voice when she used her semblance. Blue and white shimmered over her body again and it was a whole new person. A young woman with blue eyes and blonde straight hair, her skin was tanned and had a red polka dot shirred blouse which was tucked into a black zip up Asymmetrical hem skirt. 

“ Okay, that is AWESOME!” Joanna yelled. Yep, she was definitely like Elm.

“ I’ll be back tomorrow so you can all help me pick out a dress!” You said and then started heading to the exit of the base with Oscar.

Everyone waved goodbye and then you and Oscar were back in the Slums.

You pulled out your scroll, it was 8:57, you looked at Oscar, “ Come join me and the Ace-ops for movie night.” His eyes lit up, “ Really?” He asked and you nodded your head. 

“ ADA “ You called.

_“ Welcome back, Y/N, how can I help you?” ADA responded._

_“_ Please bring a Manta down.”

_“ Your coordinates, Y/N?”_

“ Uhh, wherever I’m standing.”

A moment of silence passed by then ADA beeped, “ _Bringing a Manta down now.”_

_“_ Thank you.” 

It was weird saying ‘thank you’ to a robot.

A few minutes went by and a Manta flew down to the Slums and you and Oscar stepped into it and you pulled a USB out of your pocket and plugged it into the Manta.

_“ Coordinates, Y/N?” ADA asked._

“ Uhh, Atlas Academy?”

_“ On route.”_

The Manta flew up and you sat in the passenger seat while Oscar sat in the back. You pulled out your scroll and opened the Group chat.

* * *

_  
Mary Poppins: @Stretchy Man @Hammer Time @The Speedster @Ice queen @Lucky-Charm @Doggo @Birb man_

_Hammer Time: what_

_Stretchy Man: Yes?_

_The Speedster: What’s up?_

_Mary Poppins: You mind if Oscar joins us for Movie-night?_

_Lucky-Charm: nah._

_Ice queen: Of course he can come!_

_Lucky-Charm: now that you brought that up actually, anyone else wanna join?_

_Crater Face: RWBY and JNR are going out dancing with team FNKI, and maybe Formal wear shopping for the Gala._

_Stretchy Man: Okay._

_Birb man: Be safe._

_Firecracker: Uncle Qrow, were always safe, stop worrying._

_Birb man: I’m your uncle, it’s my job to be worried._

* * *

You looked up from your scroll and saw that the Manta was now outside of Atlas Academy. You got up and Oscar followed you into the Academy. Atlas Security was pretty confused on how you got to the academy with no pilot in the Manta and you were in the passenger seat the whole time, but they knew not to say anything.

You and Oscar reached the penthouse elevator and you stepped inside.

It was maybe a minute of silence until the elevator doors helped and you saw everyone still sitting in the living room, and Marrow was even there, yet he couldn’t look at you. You felt a little bad.

“ Hey!” Everyone said and you and Oscar reached the living room and you both put your weapons down and sat down.

You sat down beside Harriet and Oscar sat down beside Qrow. Everyone was now having their own side conversations but Qrow and Oscar kept quiet, well mostly Oscar, Qrow tried to talk to him but Oscar just shook his head or nodded at whatever Qrow was saying.

You looked over Harriet and then Elm to see she was looking for movies.

You saw her pass a familiar movie, “ Let’s watch the DUFF, it’s a nice movie.” You suggested and Elm didn’t hesitate to choose the movie.

Winter turned off all the lights while Vine turned the TV on and you all sat down comfortably on the couches as the movie played. At one point you all got blankets because it was _freezing_.

Tomorrow should be a nice day, it’s a Saturday! Dress shopping with the Huntresses and team XMAS and, NO MISSIONS, WOOO! Unless you were all called down to Mantle for an emergency Grimm attack If Penny couldn’t handle it on her own, but Penny was a fine Huntress who knew how to protect the city very well. She might even get Samurai X’s help.

It was close to the end of the movie when you started to fall asleep. You didn’t even feel Clover pick you up and take you to your room.

You slept comfortably with no distractions or problems.

Well,

There was one nightmare,

That caused a problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I may have stolen Samurai X from the show Ninjago...
> 
> anyway, Oscar is like ur son now, sue me.
> 
> oscar is an adorable little freckled farm boy.


	27. The Dream, or should I say Vision?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kinds short, BUT I PROMISE ITS RLLY GOOD

**WARNING: This is kinda creepy and a small description of** violence.

* * *

It was dark and foggy. There were no stars and there was no moon. The fog had a colour, it was thick crimson red. You started walking around. there were crystals coming out of the ground. 

It was the land of darkness.

Exactly from Jinn’s vision.

You stopped walking when you felt a weird liquid around your foot.

You could only see your body, it was if your body was the only light in this darkness.

You took your foot out and the liquid was...blood?

No, it was too gooey to be blood and too dark.

“ AAAH!” You screamed and fell on your back and crawled away when something came out of the gooey puddle.

It was-

“ Grimm.” You heard a voice say though it was faint.

A Beringel had crawled out of the puddle and your eyes widened in horror as the Beringel screeched and wings came out of it’s back. “ Magnificent isn’t it?” The faint voice said again. It sounded like a woman. “ Hello?” You called out but no response.

You stood up and the Beringel set its sight on you and flew towards you. You put your hand to your side to reach grab Hush but Hush was gone. You screamed and put your arms in front of your face as the Beringel came at you but it turned into black dust before it could reach you.

“ What…?” You breathed out.

“ My Beringel won’t hurt you. “ The woman’s faint voice had talked again and you heard footsteps from behind you, but there was no one there. Suddenly the fog had cleared and there were more puddles and crystals, the goop in the puddles were bubbling and more Grimm came out. The fog came back and everything was pitch black again, but there were 2 people.

A woman that had pink hair with a few brown streaks in it and brown eyes, and a man with brown hair and pink eyes. They were kneeling down beside each other, “ Mom? Dad?” You called.

“ Your parents were very helpful. It was a shame I had to kill them.” The woman’s voice had said again. The black fog came back and your parents disappeared. Instead there was the sound of a baby crying.

It was your cries.

“ You would have been a fine vessel too.” The woman said yet she was still nowhere in sight. “ Though when you were born, your parents tried to hide you from me.” 

“ What?” You breathed out. You didn’t understand anything happening.

“Y/N L/N.” Suddenly the black fog came back and a woman appeared. It was the same woman from back at Haven academy, yet she wasn’t very tall like last time, maybe just 5 feet taller than you.

“ Salem.” You said and she smiled. “ I think it’s time, you finally know the truth.” She said.

You scoffed, “ What truth? We already know the truth. We know you can’t be killed, but the lamp showed us that you’ve failed. So we can’t kill you, but we can still find a way to  _ destroy _ all of your plans. You will fail.” You smirked when the expression on her face changed, she wasn’t smiling anymore.

After a moment passed she had smiled again, “ Dear girl, I’m not talking about me. I’m talking about your parents.”

“ And what would you know about my parents?”

She started walking around and the black fog had disappeared. Instead you were in a conference hall. The room had a crystal table surrounded by six wooden chairs, 4 of the chairs had a few people sitting on them and Salem was sitting on a crystal throne.

2 people had entered the room. Your parents. Everything was like a vision.

“ Do you remember the first time we met?” Salem asked and your parents nodded “I remember. I remember your fear. But, since that day, you've been extraordinarily brave. I won't forget all that you've done for me. Do not forget everything that I can do to you. So answer my question. “ Salem interlocked her fingers and rested her chin on her hands, “ Where. Is. Your. Daughter?” 

“ I- We- she’s dead.” Your mother said.

Your parents flinched when Salem smacked her hands on the table and the glass of the windows started to crack. She stood up,” Do  _ NOT  _ lie to me.” She roared then walked towards your parents. ” Where Is she?”

” We've already told you, my queen. She's dead.” Your father said. Salem was a few feet in front of them when she stopped and they kneeled. ” You've underestimated me.” Salem said. She moved her hands up and a black orb formed in between her hands.

” WAIT, NO!” You yelled but it was too late.

The orb had different colours come out of it and you watched in horror as it hit your parents. They were screaming and then everything went silent, and they turned into dust, just like Grimm. The fog came back, it was back to pitch black, the crimson fog was back and Salem was standing in it. ” You would have been a fine vessel for me. Though I suppose it's too late now.” She said as she walked with her hands clasped behind her back. 

You had tears in your eyes. You didn't know your parents that well- hell you didn't even know them at all! But they didn't deserve what happened to them, even if they worked for Salem. Speaking of the devil, she looked at you, ” I'll just have to stick with Cinder for now.” You scoffed and chuckled a bit, ” Cinder’s dead.” You informed her but nothing changed in her expression other than her smiling wide. She walked towards you and bent down, you and her were face to face,” Cinder is alive.” She whispered and you widened your eyes in shock.

” How- No- She's dead!! How would you even know?” You asked and her expression changed to neutral though she had a grin on her face, ” Should you really be asking me that?” You shook your head, ” No- no I'm sorry, My-” You stopped talking when you realized what you were about to say. Her grin got bigger and she cupped your cheek- WHICH YOU DID NOT LIKE.

” Like-minded with your parents, indeed.” She removed her hand and had a straight posture now, ” Although I didn't just come here to tell you the truth.” She informed you as she walked away. ” Then why are you here?” You asked. She stopped walking then turned around to face you, ” My dear, you’ve chosen your path. You chose to help my dear Ozma with his misguided quest on thinking he could stop me, and you chose to become the leader of the White Fang.” She said and you were surprised, ” How did you know I was the leader.” You didn't want to sound like you were questioning her, you didn't know why though. Through your mind you felt like kneeling yet you had no idea why. ” I have a few of my people in Atlas.” She said and you widened your eyes in shock.

Her people were here? That could only mean Tyrian and Cinder were here. Hazel, Emerald and Mercury were probably here too. ” Though, on this path you will face many of your fears. And they will hurt you. And your friends.” You scoffed, ” And how would you know that?” You asked. At least now you were finally feeling normal again and could ask her a question without having to apologize on asking her.

She said nothing and instead outwarded her hand then the fog came back, and she was gone. You heard a voice screaming in the distance and looked to your right, it was...you? Suddenly it was as if you were zoomed in on your eyes in the vision. You closed them in the vision and when you opened them, a tear came down your eye, yet that wasn't what worried you.

What worried you, was that there was a pink fire coming out of your pink coloured eye, and brown fire from the other eye. Only a Maiden could do that.

You stumbled back in shock. That couldn't be true. YOU? A Maiden? That couldn't even be possible unless you killed a Maiden or if you were in a Maiden's final thoughts. Though that couldn't be possible, Cinder is the fall maiden and she would never give you the power, according to Yang, Vernal was the spring maiden but when Vernal was killed, the spring maiden power must have gone to someone else. The Winter Maiden was somewhere in the Atlas Military, she couldn't go anywhere until she had recovered according to James, but he also added that it was unlikely. And The Summer maiden which you had no idea who, or where she was. She was likely in Vacuo but according to headmaster Theodore of Shade Academy, the Summer Maiden went missing years ago.

The fog was back and Salem soon appeared, ” Time isn't on your side, Y/N, it's on mine. I know  _ everything _ , and I would love to tell you about every encounter on your path, but that would just mean it wouldn't happen.” However she did it, she was taller now. ” Though I can tell you one thing.” She walked towards you and bent over. You were face to face now, her face was only a few inches away from yours. ” I  _ will  _ have the Relic of Knowledge.” She paused to smile wide, ” And you'll give it to me.” She whispered. No- You would never do that, you weren't betraying Oz, Team RWBY, JNR, Oscar, Qrow, James, the Ace-ops and every White Fang member.

She was now standing straight while she stayed in her spot, the only movement was her chest rising and lowering with each breath she took. The fog surrounded her and she was gone, it was only you in the darkness. ” Where did you go!?” You yelled. You NEEDED more answers, what did she mean by ’ And you'll give it to me?’. You looked down at a gooey puddle which was bubbling, then suddenly a bunch of Grimm arms came out of it and you screamed as they grabbed you and tried to pull you into the Grimm puddle. 

” Don't fight it” Salem’s voice was fading as you started slowly closing your eyes and listened to what she said. Your body was halfway into the Grimm puddle.

” Don't fight it” She kept saying, though it was faint. And you listened to everything she said. It was almost as if...you were fine with her orders…

Your entire body was in the Grimm puddle, you opened your eyes and the Grimm arms were gone, yet you were in the Grimm puddle.

You arched your back when a sudden pain went through your entire body.

The pain kept coming and coming.

Soon it stopped and you crawled out of the Grimm puddle, you could see yourself in the dream. Your veins were red and your skin was pure white. Instead of your pink and brown eyes, they were a dark crimson red. ” Be ready.” Salem said.

You almost screamed when you woke up from your dream. You looked around and made a gigantic sigh of relief to see your room and Oscar sleeping on the couch in your room.

Yet Oscar wasn't the only body of a person you saw.

You looked at your dresser and saw someone sitting on the chair beside the dresser. Their body was faced your way, yet they weren't looking at you, they were sharpening their weapon. 

You quickly realized who it was when they looked up at you and you only saw one blue eye.

” Well that was one hell of a dream- or should I say vision?” They whispered. 

It was Adam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that I leave every chapter on a cliffhanger-
> 
> Also ADAM IS NOT ALIVE. Him being in your room will be explained NEXT chapter :)


	28. The Ghost Of The Penthouse.

You wanted to scream.

Adam Taurus.

THE Adam Taurus, who is DEAD, is sitting in your room. 

You were actually about to scream until you noticed Oscar sleeping on the couch in your room. Guess he wanted to stay here. You looked back at Adam who was just smiling. “ You probably have questions don’t you?” He whispered, “ YES!” You whispered loudly back.

He sat beside you on the round canopy bed.

“ I uh, don't have answers so…” 

“ Is this another dream?” You asked.

“ No, and what you had before was NOT a dream.” 

“ And how would you know?” You asked him.

He deadpanned, “ Dude, I’m  _ dead.  _ And plus, some perks of being dead are being able to see dreams...or visions…” 

You groaned, “ I can’t believe i'm talking to the GHOST of Adam Taurus.”

He chuckled, “ Well, believe it. I’m the ghost of the penthouse.” 

You snorted. “ I overheard your talk with Marrow, earlier.” He said and you groaned quietly, still aware that Oscar was sleeping. “ How much of it?” You asked, “ All of it.”

You groaned even LOUDER then quickly put your hand over your mouth, you didn’t wanna wake Oscar up. “ I would love to talk to you about Marrow but that’s not why I’m here.” You knew for a FACT he didn’t actually wanna talk about Marrow, “ Then why are you here?” You asked. “ The White Fang.” He said.

You did  _ NOT  _ want to have this talk, you threw your face back into the pillow then groaned into it and he chuckled, “ I’m not here to lecture you.” He assured, “ I’m here to  _ warn  _ you.” His words brought you away from the pillow and you sat up, staring at him in concern and worry, “ What do you mean?” You asked. “ Well I’m sure you've heard about all the murders happening in Mantle and the White Fang.” You nodded your head and after a moment you widen your eyes, “ Wait do you know  _ who?”  _ Yo asked.

He gave a deep sigh, “ I do but--”

“ TELL ME!” You said and then quickly realized you yelled it out loud. A moment passed and you heard footsteps then someone knocked at your door, “ Y/N? Are you okay?” Vine asked and you panicked, “ I- Uhm, yea, I just had a nightmare, that’s all.” 

“ Oh.” Vine said, “ Would you like to talk about it?” He asked. You glanced at Adam who was grinning to see how you would play this out and then you looked at Oscar, he was sweating and moving around a little and mumbling something that you couldn’t hear, he must have been having a nightmare. “ Uh, maybe later.” You responded, “ Okay.” Vine said, and you heard footsteps then a door close. Oscar must have been a very deep sleeper...or he was trapped in a nightmare. 

Adam put a hand on your shoulder which was kinda weird because he was a ghost, “ I can’t tell you.” He said, “  _ Why?”  _ You hissed back quietly and he flinched, “ Because I’m basically ruining the future- or- that or- I don’t know!” He was squirming, “ I don’t know how being dead entirely works!” 

“ You’ve been dead for a week! You should know!” 

“ Well Hell isn’t a nice place!!” He whispered back, “ It’s like what Salem said in your vision-”

“ Dream.”

“  _ Vision! And  _ If I tell you then a bunch of crazy shit will happen, and it’s just gonna ruin everything.” 

You gave a deep and frustrated sigh, “ Is there at least any fact you can give me?” He was hesitant but then nodded, “ The person murdering people down in Mantle...is someone you trust. You will face a lot of fears on your path. I can try my best to help you, but you see, I’m kinda in hell.” You snorted. “ Anything else?” You asked and he shook his head., “ You should check on your friend, he’s having one hell of a nightmare.” He said. He made a mock salute, just like they did in the Atlas Military, “ Good luck.” and he soon faded away.

You got comfortable into your bed when you soon realized that you literally just talked to a fucking ghost and you saw them. Holy shit.

But someone you trusted? What if the Happy Huntresses assumptions are right? What if James really is the one causing all the murders? You trusted James with your life, just like you trusted Ozpin. It wouldn’t surprise you much if all of the headmasters turned their backs on you, they all took direct orders from Ozpin.

Was the mock salute supposed to be a hint that it was James?

You jumped up when you remembered what Salem told you. Her people were here...in Atlas. You grabbed your scroll and went to the group chat. 

* * *

_ Mary Poppins: @everyone WAKE THE FUCK UP. _

_ Mary Poppins: I KNOW IT’S 4 AM BUT WE HAVE A PROBLEM. _

_ Mary Poppins: YOU GUYS MAY NOT BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY THIS, BUT JUST LET ME TALK _

_ Mary Poppins: okay you all probably won’t believe me, and that ping probably didn’t wake you all up _

_ Mary Poppins: But I’m gonna be completely honest. _

_ ]Mary Poppins: I WAS HAVING THIS DREAM BUT APPARENTLY IT WAS A VISION OR SOMETHING CUZ I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL WHAT I SAID AND I FELT EVERYTHING THAT WAS HAPPENING AND SALEM WAS THERE AND SHE SAID HER PEOPLE WERE IN ATLAS AND CINDER IS FUCKING ALIVE, YES SHE’S ALIVE. _

_ Mary Poppins: YOU’LL PROBABLY THINK IT WAS JUST A DREAM _

_ Mary Poppins: BUT LET ME SAY THE NEXT PART _

_ Mary Poppins: AN OLD FRIEND VISITED ME, AND THEY WERE A FUCKING GHOST AND I SAW THEM, AND IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME, ASK VINE, I YELLED SOMETHING AND HE HEARD SO IT WASN’T A DREAM, LIKE HE LITERALLY HEARD ME AND HE CAME TO MY ROOM. I WAS TALKING TO MY FRIEND AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A VISION, WELL NOT A VISION, IT WAS LIKE REAL, LIKE SALEM WAS ACTUALLY TALKING TO ME, BUT SERIOUSLY, CINDER AND TYRIAN ARE HERE, CINDER IS ALIVE, AND EVERYONE WAKE THE FUCK UPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP. _

_ Mary Poppins: @everyone @everyone @everyone WAKE UP. _

_ Birb man: What _

_ Birb man: The  _

_ Birb man: Fuck _

_ The Speedster: your being completely honest right now? _

_ Mary Poppins: YES! _

_ Stretchy Man: I think Y/N is telling the truth. I did hear her talking to someone before I knocked at her door. _

_ Lucky-Charm: I thought you were on a call with someone. _

_ Jimbo: Did she say anything else? _

_ Mary Poppins: THE RELIC, WHERE IS IT? _

_ Mary Poppins: WAIT NO DON’T TELL ME. _

_ Ice queen: Uhm...why? _

_ Mary Poppins: Okay, Salem said something, so I need the relic to stay away from me AS FAR AS POSSIBLE. _

_ Hammer Time: Read everything, first thoughts: What the fuck, Salem talked to you? 2nd: It’s actually almost 5am, that’s why Vine was up. _

_ Crater Face: Should we tell the people of Mantle and Atlas? _

_ Lucky-Charm: That a serial killer is in Mantle and the Atlas Military has no idea where he is? And a lady who has been most-wanted for maybe 2 years now is in and the Atlas Military ALSO don't know where she is? Yeah, no. _

_ Mary Poppins: As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with Clover _

_ Lucky-Charm: I don't know if I should be thankful or annoyed from what you just said. _

_ Mary Poppins: how abt thankful :) _

_ The Speedster: I just realized Clover hasn't yelled ” LANGUAGE” _

_ Lucky-Charm: let me see every swear word that was said ever since Y/N first messaged us. _

_ Doggo: Oh great. _

_ Ninja: Nora and Jaune would like to pass a message to the person messaging us this early: Shut the fuck up. _

_ Firecracker: that's like the first time Jaune and Nora have ever sworn. _

_ Bookworm: if you wake them up before 6 am then they get very angry. _

_ Lucky-Charm: I read up, *clears throat*  _

_ Hammer Time: wow _

_ Lucky-Charm: LANGUAGE _

_ Lucky-Charm: LANGUAGE _

_ Lucky-Charm: LANGUAGE _

_ Lucky-Charm: LANGUAGE _

_ Lucky-Charm: LANGUAGE _

_ Lucky-Charm: LANGUAGE _

_ The Speedster: Ah, there's our Clover. _

_ Ice Queen: Who is up rn? _

_ Little Wizard: Me _

_ Mary Poppins: Me _

_ Lucky-Charm: Me _

_ Jimbo: Me _

_ Firecracker: Me _

_ Bookworm: Me _

_ Crater Face: Me _

_ Ninja: Me _

_ Stretchy Man: Me _

_ Hammer Time: Me _

_ The Speedster: Me _

_ Doggo: Me _

_ Birb man: Me _

_ Ice Queen: So Weiss, Jaune and Nora are the only ones sleeping? _

_ Ice princess: Me and Jaune are awake, I was just beating him at Kung Fu Ninja Ultimate Slayer Death Battle 2.  _

_ Banana Boy: Hmph. _

_ Birb man: Weiss, me and you, 1v1. _

_ Ice Princess: your on. _

_ Banana Boy: she's surprisingly better than Ruby and Yang. _

_ Little Wizard: So what are we gonna do about Tyrian and Cinder? _

_ Jimbo: Emergency meeting at 5:30. _

_ Lucky-Charm: got it. _

_ Mary Poppins: Elm, you don't have to wake me up. _

_ Mary Poppins: Elm I can hear your footsteps. _

_ Mary Poppins: yes yes go away. _

* * *

You looked up from your scroll and then looked at Oscar who was still sitting on the couch in the room. You got up from your bed and walked towards him, ” Let's go get some breakfast.” You told him then yawned and stretched and he didn't hesitate to get up right away then follow you to the Common room where RWBY and JNR were, the Ace-ops soon joining you all for breakfast after.

” Have you guys heard about some students finding a positive pregnancy test here?” Elm asked and Nora chuckled, ” Yea, all the students are trying to figure out who’s pregnancy test it was.”

” What do you think James will do when he finds out who?” You asked, ” the pregnancy test was found on the first floor of the dormitory in the trash which means it was likely a first year. James said he wanted to help them as much as he could.” Winter said. Ah, James was a caring person, if there was ever a change helping someone, even if it was the smallest chance, he would do it no matter what. It's no doubt he would try helping whoever was pregnant in the academy.

You looked at Harriet who had tensed up when you all started talking about the pregnancy test. It was weird, you've never seen Harriet so tense before.

It was 5:30, James had soon come into the room. You got up to throw out any waste in the trash can. You looked at the glass counter. Then suddenly, your pink eye wasn't pink in the reflection of the counter, it turned deep red.

_ Don't fight it. _

Her voice and the words kept repeating in your head and you shut your eyes then opened them again to see that your eye pupil wasn't red anymore and was back to its normal colour.

_ That was weird… _

It was just like from the Vision.

When you crawled out from the Grimm pool and your eyes were deep red.

Was the vision showing...that you would turn into her...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SORRY ITS SHORT! I PROMISE THERE WILL BE LONGER CHAPTERS SOON!


	29. Operatives: Elm.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Elm decide to do a little grocery shopping and dress shopping, but one look at a dress made you realize something; the person who was pregnant in the Academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehe

“ We might as well keep everyone inside if Callows and Cinder are here,” James said.

“ What do you mean by that?” Nora asked. “ He means Martial-law or lockdown,” Winter said. You looked at Nora who was fuming with anger. 

“ You're not thinking that...are you?” Nora asked in disbelief. Okay maybe before it was said James was a caring person, he was like Pyrrha, but sometimes he can take it a little bit...too far.

“ I don’t agree with this idea, but to catch Tyrian and Cinder, we’re gonna have to do one of those.” You said, “ BUT!” You put a finger up then stood up, “ James, if you’re saying that someone is framing you, the people of Mantle will hate you more, and with all the negativity, it’ll bring Grimm.” You said and Ruby agreed, “ She’s right. Salem’s goal is to divide us, and right now she’s succeeding in dividing you with your kingdom.” 

Nora still seemed mad but she nodded in agreement with you and Ruby and so did everyone else other than Winter and Clover, but by the looks on their faces, it seemed like they were agreeing.

He sat down on a chair in the common room. He rubbed his temples and gave a deep sigh, “ Then what should we do?” He asked. There were a few moments of silence with everyone staring at you and then you pointed at yourself, “ Wait, you're asking me?” and everyone nodded in the room.

You were hesitant, you didn’t entirely have the answer for that. Your eyes lit up when you remembered who was going for a council seat, “ Robyn Hill.” You looked at Clover who spit his tea out, “ Overdramatic much.” You mumbled. You looked at James who wasn’t rubbing his temple anymore and was looking you dead straight in the eye, “ Robyn Hill?” He asked in disbelief, “ Robyn Hill? The one who stole a few of our Amity supplies?”

“ Well yes but-”

“ The one who is refusing to let us get to the Launch site?” 

“ Yes-”

“ The one who’s spying on our work and accusing me of all the murders?”

“ I-”

“ The one who almost attacked Clover on a supply run?”

“ JAMES!” You roared and everyone flinched in the room. You sighed, “ I know Robyn isn’t our best choice- Actually, She is our best choice! Robyn is trying to help Mantle as much as you are James, our only choice is Robyn. She knows Mantle better than we do. We _need_ her.” There was a thick tension in the room between you and James. There was a minute of silence of you both looking each other in the eyes. You were trying to show you were serious. Elm broke the silence, “ I agree with Y/N.” There were surprised gasps from the other Ace-ops.

RWBY and JNR had no idea who Robyn Hill was, they'd only heard of her by James, and what James had said about her...wasn’t entirely nice.

You were honestly starting to believe the Huntress's assumption that he might be the one murdering people. Okay, it was said before that he had a caring heart, but right now, it’s different, James could sometimes take stuff too far. Could the Ace-ops be doing the dirty work for him? Was Adam telling the truth? Is James the one killing the White Fang members? Ever since the Fall of Beacon and Attack on Haven, James doesn’t exactly...like the White Fang, he never even agreed to give the Fang another chance, but Councilman Sleet and Councilwoman Camilla did. It was 2 against 1.

” I do too.” Nora agreed but the General and everyone else has stayed quiet. James groaned, ” Fine.” he scoffed, ” How would we get her to agree in calming down Mantle?” He asked, ” She’ll be at Sleet’s Gala tomorrow. Talk to her there.” You informed and he nodded his head.

”...is the meeting done?” Qrow asked. ” Yes.” James said. You all got up ” Wait!” James yelled and you all stopped walking towards the door, ” Y/N, stay here, the rest of you can go.” Everyone walked out then Clover gave you a Good luck pat on your shoulder. You groaned, ” Yes, James?” 

” I know this is a lot to ask but…”

He paused, ” Okay since Qrow has said ’no’ more than 10 times and he’s already been through his teaching days…” He stopped again. Teaching? What was he trying to tell you? ” Can you teach a few classes?” 

Excuse you? Teaching classes? You're only 19! ” So out of anyone in Atlas, you asked me?”

” Yes.” he squeaked, ” Qrow had seen his fair share of teaching days, and I mean you're the oldest out of all the kids and a very smart young lady.” 

When you finally dedicated your life to protecting others and not trying to kill Huntsman, you wanted to give the wisdom and ability to be a Huntress or Huntsman to those In training. But you didn't expect to be teaching this early! You only got your Huntress license a few days ago! You would be in your 4th year right now while the others would be 3rd years. ” It's just for the first and second years.” He said.

” Would I still be going on missions with the Ace-ops? Or supply runs? Or outer wall duties?” You asked and he nodded his head. You shrugged, ” Sure.” and his face softened, ” What classes would I teach?” You asked, ” History and Sparring.” Ah, you knew a lot about the kingdoms plus the history for all of them, and you're a very good sparring partner, it was no surprise it was those classes. ” Okay, is that all?” He nodded his head and you stood up then left the common room and so did he. He headed for his office and you headed for the penthouse.

It was 7:30, the meeting had lasted for about 2 hours. You looked through the cabinets and fridge of the kitchen, nothing was in them. You groaned and looked back at everyone sitting in the living room, you walked up to them. ” We need to do something about that.” You pointed towards the kitchen and everyone had glanced at it, ” What about it?” Harriet asked. You put your hand on your hip, ”One.” You put a finger up, ” There's nothing in there.” You put a second finger up, ” Two, we can't just order takeout forever.” everyone was hesitant until they started nodding their heads, ” I was waiting for someone to say it.” Vine groaned then threw his hands up and you chuckled a bit.

” Well, I just said it. We actually need to do some grocery shopping. Who is not busy today?” You asked. Clover was the first to answer, ” Branwen needs a suit for the Gala and he doesn't know his way around Atlas so…” You smirked. “ Actually, I know my way around Atlas. Ebi just insisted on coming with me.” Qrow said, Your smirk grew even bigger, by tomorrow they’ll be on a first name basis.

Harriet was about to speak until she put a hand over her stomach, ” Harriet?” Winter was concerned and so was everyone else. Harriet got up and used her semblance to run into the bathroom and she started puking into the toilet.

” Harriet!” You all yelled in concern and ran to the bathroom. She sat on the bathroom floor with her hand over her stomach, ” Are you okay?!” Clover yelled in concern. ” I-'' She was cut off by her puking into the toilet again and you all winced, ” Okay you're definitely staying here.” You said and knelt beside her to rub her back as she kept puking. Winter nodded, ” I'll stay here with Harriet.” She said and you nodded your head in agreement. ” Vine you should stay here too. You always know how to deal with puking.” Elm said and Vine nodded.

You looked at Elm, ” I guess that just leaves you and me.” And Elm smiles and flashed you a thumbs up. ” Grocery stores open at 9:00 am.” She said and you nodded your head. 

Winter and Vine comforted Harriet then gave her water and medicine. You went into your room and messaged the group chat with the Huntresses and team XMAS.

* * *

_You: @everyone you guys mind if I back out from dress shopping?_

_Lie Detector: Yea sure, we’re kinda already busy with Mantle._

_Xanthe: And the rest of us are looking at more files of dead White Fang members or just any dead people in Mantle._

_You: More?!_

_Miko: yeeep._

_Zedd: That’s the 24th murder this month._

_May: and they keep leading to General Ironwood._

_You: evidence?_

_Xanthe: the most recent one was a teacher in Atlas Academy. She was in the White Fang and a Faunus, a deer Faunus to be exact. General Ironwood fired her when he found out she was in the Fang. She was in Mantle on her way to the base when she was brutally murdered. Looks like it was a Gunshot._

_You: Gunshot?_

_Sheepy: Yea_

_You: Shit, I’ll text you all later._

* * *

A Gunshot? The guns in Tyrian’s weapons shot 2 bullets each time, if it was one Gunshot...then it could have been James. Every murder just keeps leading to James.

  
  


It was soon 9 AM. You walked out of your room to find Elm already waiting for you, “ You ready?” She asked and you nodded your head. 

The Academy had steps on the side that would lead into the city and then a parking lot, “ Do you have a car?” You asked and Elm pulled out car keys from her pocket then pressed a button and you heard a Car alarm go on, “ Oh, wrong button!” She quickly turned her alarm off then you both walked to the car. 

You sat in the passenger seat, “ Have you ever learned how to drive?” She asked as she started the car up, “ No..” you squeaked and she looked at you wide-eyed,” Your 19 and you don’t know how to drive?!” She asked, yelling. “ It’s not my fault!” You threw your hands up and she started laughing. “ I was 16 when I first went to Beacon! I never got the chance to learn!” She laughed even more, “ I’m sure Vine would teach you.” You did want to learn how to drive, and you also wanted to get to know the Ace-ops more, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if he taught you.

You got to the grocery store after 20 minutes of Elm’s non-stop teasing that you couldn’t drive. You got a cart.

“ Okay, did everyone message you what they wanted for snacks?” Elm asked as she pushed the cart and you sat in it. “ Yep, Qrow said he wanted brownies and licorice.” You and Elm retched at the word licorice. “ Clover said Oreo’s, chips and-“ you paused and started snickering at what Clover had listed after, “ And..?” Elm asked, you gave her your scroll and she started wheezing, “ LUCKY CHARM CEREAL?!” You and Elm started bursting out with laughter. 

Once you and Elm regained your breath, you continued reading what everyone wanted, “ Winter said those small chocolate chip cookies and Lindor chocolate. Vine asked for those little animal crackers. I was expecting Harriet to message COKE COKE COKE but she asked for something different.” Elm gave you a confused look, “ What did she say?” She asked, “ Antacids, Simethicone, and Immodium.” You read.

“ Why would she be asking for specific medicines?” Elm asked, you shook your head, “ I have no idea.” You admitted. Elm smirked, “ let’s have some fun.” She said, “ What do you mean by fun- AH.” You yelped when Elm started running with the Shopping cart and you cheered as you sat in it. She kept running with the cart in her hand and you flipped off any stock clerks at the store. You threw your hands up, “ WOOO!” You cheered as she kept running and the cart kept moving fast. She slowed down then stopped running when you reached the milk aisle. 

“ Okay, is 3 milk cartons enough?” Elm asked. You hummed, “ Well, we all have coffee in the morning and sometimes at night, so maybe 4...or 5.” Elm snorted and grabbed 5 milk cartons.

You and Elm continued to do the groceries, but Elm had to walk instead of run since a clerk had given you both a warning that if she ran one more time, you would both be kicked out. “ Alright, that’s everything.” You said and Elm nodded, “ Let’s go get Harriet’s medication.” 

The Grocery store also had a pharmacy on the other side. Elm started walking and you were STILL sitting in the cart, you were skinny enough to fit all the groceries around you in the cart, “ What’s your story?” Elm asked. You looked at her with a look of confusion on your face, “ Story?” You asked and she nodded. “ I don’t really have one.” Actually you did, yet everything in your life was 1 whole secret. She scoffed, “ Everyone has a story.” She said and you shook your head. She chuckled, “ Fine, mine is really just my parents divorcing and my dad leaving.” She said.

You looked at her in sympathy, “ I’m sorry..” She chuckled, “ Don’t be, it was 15 years ago.” She said yet that didn’t take away the look of sympathy in your eyes. 

You both got to the pharmacy and looked through the aisles yet you couldn’t find the medicine Harriet had asked for. Elm groaned, “ Where is the Damm medicine?” She looked through the shelf yet she couldn’t find it, “ Let’s ask a pharmacist.” You said and Elm nodded. You walked up to a lady with brown hair which was in a ponytail, “ Excuse me?” You called and she turned her head towards you, “ Hi! How can I help you?” She asked, well she was nice. “ Do you know where these medicines are?” You showed her Harriet’s message on your scroll, “ Oh! So we had a little upgrade. We have an aisle with every pregnancy medicine over there.” She pointed to an aisle on the far right in the pharmacy, “ Thank you!” You and Elm both said and Elm soon pushed the cart towards the aisle.

You and Elm got the medicine and soon went to a cashier to pay for everything. You took out 638 lien, “ Woah woah woah!” Elm put her hand out and you looked at her confused, “ Are you sure you wanna pay?” Elm asked, “ I’m fine with it.” You assured, Elm hesitated until she nodded. “ Have a good day.” The Cashier told you.

You and Elm put the grocery bags in the trunk of the car. It was when you both got in the car when Harriet messaged you. _Can you and Elm pick up my Gala dress?_ Harriet messaged. You looked at Elm who just shrugged. _Sure!_ You sent back and Harriet messaged you the address of the place. 

“ Snow Formal.” You told Elm and she didn’t hesitate to start the car up. She chuckled a bit, “ She always gets her formal wear from there.” She said. You both drove to the Formal wear shop. It was pretty big, it had all different sizes of dresses or suits and ties. Harriet told you to just use the name Bree when asking the clerk for the dress and that she had paid online. 

You saw Qrow and Clover in the suits area then you and Elm walked towards them. “ Hey.” You said then Qrow and Clover turned their heads, “ Oh hey guys!” They both said. “ What are you two doing here?” Qrow asked, “ Just picking up Harriet’s dress.” Elm said. “ I might actually buy my dress here too.” You admitted as you looked around, the dresses were _gorgeous._

“ You go pick up Harriet’s dress.” You told Elm.

Elm walked up to a man in an area where she could pick up ordered dresses from online, “ Bree.” Elm said and the man nodded then soon grabbed the dress, “ Size 9.” The man informed her. It was a blue A-line off shoulder dress with a few sparkles in it, the dress was in a type of bag, Brothers it looked gorgeous.

Qrow had already chosen a suit and he soon went to go pay for it. Clover was with you in the dress area as you browsed through all the dresses. “ This one?” Clover asked and he pulled out a dress which did NOT have sleeves. It was a gorgeous dress, you would have got it if your arms weren’t covered in scars and bruises.

Your aura would have healed all of them but they were there before you had generated an aura on your own, which is why they didn’t heal.

“ Nah.” You said and shook your head, Clover groaned, “ Me and Qrow should have ran while we could, otherwise we wouldn’t be stuck here, helping you choose a dress.” Ohh they were on first name base now. You laughed, “ Clover it’s only been 2 minutes.” You said, “ I can see where this is going though.” He wasn’t wrong.

Qrow soon came back and you picked out 4 dresses which were all long sleeved that also didn’t show your entire back. 

There was a dressing room area with a few couches that people could sit in if someone were to put on a little show.

You came out of the dressing room with the first dress.

“ Meh” Qrow didn’t like it.

“ Ehhh.” Clover didn’t like it either.

“ I agree with Clo and Qrow.” Elm said.

You came out of the dressing room with a second dress.

“ Nope.” They all said then looked at each other in surprise, “ it’s like you read my mind.” Qrow said and you chuckled a bit.

You came out of the dressing room with the 3rd dress.

They all shook their heads.

It was the final dress that made you look _gorgeous._

Clover, Qrow, and Elm were smirking when they saw you come out with the dress.

“ That’s the one.” Elm said, “ She’s not wrong.” Qrow and Clover said. You chuckled and looked at yourself in the mirror. “ this is definitely the one.” You breathed out.

It was a black Missord Off Shoulder Sequin Fishtail with a few sparkles ✨

You changed out of the dress and soon bought it.

Clover and Qrow went into Clover’s car and you and Elm went into hers. 

There was a weird look on Elm’s face, “ What’s wrong?” You asked, “ Harriet usually gets a size 7.” She said as she looked at the dress. 

After a moment of silence, you widened your eyes in shock, “ What did the pharmacist say when we were getting Harriet’s medicine?” You asked. “ that it was in the pregnancy aisle..” Elm breathed out, “ And Harriet got an extra sized dress…” She finished.

“ By the brothers..” you breathed out.

It wasn’t a student that was pregnant in the Academy, it was Harriet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehe


	30. The Gala.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Elm confront Harriet if she's really pregnant. You meet someone who you never thought you would see at a Gala, or even outside anywhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: MENTIONS OF SEX.
> 
> WILLLLLLLLLOWWWWWWWWWWW SCHNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

**WARNING: MENTIONS OF SEX.**

* * *

It was Gala day.

You and Elm haven’t talked to Harriet yet, you both didn’t have a chance.

You tried to when you came back from grocery shopping yesterday, but Harriet had training with Ruby. Elm tried to today but Harriet decided to spend the day with her boyfriend before the Gala.

The Huntresses and Team XMAS had chosen their formal wear for the Gala.

Samantha would use her semblance on you so you could hide your identity.

Samantha could switch how she looked with her semblance, but she can also do it on someone else. 

There was 1 hour until the Gala. XMAS and the Huntresses would be taking a Manta up to Atlas. Someone knocked at your room door, “ Come in!” You said. The doorknob of your room turned and soon opened then Clover walked in, he was already wearing his suit. 

You only had your hair straightened- which was in a high ponytail- and your make-up almost done. You looked at your dress on the chair by your dresser. “ Hey Clover.” You soon turned your head to him, “ Wait, I’m not late am I? I swear I thought I had an hour left” He chuckled, “ No you're not, the General just wants us to meet him in the landing area a few mins before 6.” He said then you nodded your head and he soon walked out.

You continued doing your make-up and then Harriet came into your room. She was wearing her dress.

You turned away from the mirror, “ You look _beautiful_.” You said and she smiled then sat down on your bed, “ Thank you.” She said and you smiled. You looked back at the mirror and continued to do your make-up when you realized that this was the perfect chance to talk to Harriet, “ Harriet?” You called and turned to her, “ Yea?” She responded. You didn’t think it was a good idea to have this talk with Harriet alone, maybe she could use a friend, like Elm.

“ Hold on.” You said, Harriet nodded but she was confused. You walked out of the room and walked to Elm’s door, “ Elm?” You knocked and she opened the door.

And she looked _breath-taking_.

Her hair was down, brushed and straightened, she wore a Blue Lattice Satin Dress.

“ Yea?” She asked, “ Harriet.” You responded and Elm understood immediately and followed you into your room. Harriet was confused when you both walked in and you closed the door. You didn’t wanna trap her in here, but you both needed to talk to her about this. 

“ Harriet, we just need to talk-“

“ Are you pregnant?” 

You looked at Elm wide-eyed, “ _what the fuck?!”_ You mouthed. You wanted to talk to Harriet CALMLY and not just straight up ask the question, guess that didn’t apply to Elm. Harriet had tensed and gotten uncomfortable, “ I-uh- what do you mean?” She asked. You gave a deep sigh and sat beside her on the bed, “ Harriet, when you messaged us the medicines, they were literally in the pregnancy aisle.” You said, “ And you bought an extra-sized dress, which you never do.” Elm chimed in. You put your hand on hers, “ Harriet...are you pregnant?” You whispered softly.

Harriet was competitive and strong, she always put others before herself, but she always tried to hide her feelings and emotions from others. She wanted to stay strong for the Ace-ops. “ Yes..” She whispered back, there were tears in her eyes.

“ Oh wow, I was not expecting that.” You mumbled and Elm wasn’t expecting it either.

“ it’s not a student that’s pregnant, it’s me. I took the pregnancy test on the first floor.

It’s been 6 days since the pregnancy test was found.

“ How long since uh…you know…” You didn’t want to say the word ‘sex’.

“ Who’s the baby daddy?” Elm asked, grinning. You chuckled, she always knew how to make people feel better. “ Mateo,” Harriet replied.

You had no idea who that was, “ Who?” You asked and Elm just groaned. “ Mateo Santiago.” You looked at your door- It was opened! Winter was standing there and she was leaning against the door frame, Vine soon joining her.“ Mateo Santiago, he’s 26-years old and lives in Atlas. No Huntsman license. Just a normal, rich person.” She explained who he was as she read his file on her scroll. He was only 2 years older than Harriet. 

You were about to ask if anyone else had heard what Harriet said but it was like Winter read your mind, “ Clover, Marrow, and Qrow are with the General, they're all going on a mission tomorrow.” Winter said. Harriet made a sigh of relief and Winter and Vine soon came into the room then he sat on the bed while Winter walked towards a floor mirror.

Winter wore an icy blue sleeves split evening dress with sparkles on the top part of the dress, she had her hair straightened and down “ I’m not gonna lie, this is the first Gala I’ve gone to with the General or any of you.” Winter said as she looked at herself in the mirror, “ You look gorgeous.” Elm said and Winter smiled at her in return then soon sat down on the bed beside Vine.

“ I- I don’t want to stop being a Huntress.” She admitted, “ I think I’ll get an abortion.” 

“ Does your dad know?” Elm asked. Harriet shook her head, “ I’m not even married. He’ll probably kill me.” She said. She gave a deep sigh, “ Sadly, there’s a law in Atlas, you have to be 26 to have an abortion without parental consent, And because of the embargo, any abortion place has closed.” Harriet said.

Uhm, 26?! What the fuck. How is that even a law?!

You looked at everyone shocked, “ 26!? Why the fuck is that even a law?!” Everyone else was as shocked as you, “ Maybe General Ironwood could help?” Winter said.

You scoffed, “ James may have said he wanted to help the _student_ who was pregnant in the Academy, but instead, it’s one of his Ace-operatives. Not a student.” Everyone nodded their heads in understanding. It’s James, he may have been trying to help who he thought was the student who was pregnant, but it’s an Ace-op, not a student.

“ I actually did some research though, before the CCT went down. There’s a settlement called Rivas where I can do the abortion without parental consent.” Harriet said. “ Rivas?” Elm asked, “ Rivas? The settlement 18 hours outside of the kingdom?” Winter continued. Harriet nodded her head, “ I just have no idea how to get there, the borders are closed and if I take a Manta then General Ironwood will find out everything.” She said.

You stood up and put your hands on your hip, “ Well then, were driving there, hidden.” You said, “ We?” Elm asked and you nodded your head, “ Do you guys think I’m letting Harriet go through this alone?”

“ Well technically I have my boyfriend-“

“ Harriet, let me finish.” You hissed back, “ We, and yes I mean _WE,_ are helping Harriet with her abortion.” You said. “ We’re going to Rivas.” 

“ How will we get there? If we take a Manta then Atlas Personnel will be all over us if we try leaving Atlas and we don’t have a car down in Mantle that we can use.” Harriet said. “ Leave that to me.” You said. You actually didn’t know-how.

“ Guys I think we’re forgetting the fact that we have missions tomorrow, and Y/N, you have your teaching!” Winter said. “ We’ll figure something out.” You assured them.

Winter checked the time on her scroll, “ We have 30 minutes until we leave. “ She turned her head to you, then your dress on the chair, “ Let’s let Y/N change,” Winter said then chuckled. Everyone got up and left your room, Vine closing the door on the way out.

  
  


You looked at the dress.

_My first Gala_

You smiled at the thought. It was your first gala! Even if Atlesians were well...Atlesians. It was still nice to attend a fancy-schmancy Gala.

You got up and walked towards the chair to grab your dress. It was Gala time.

You put the dress on and then looked at Hush. It was in the corner of your room, “ Should I take my weapon..” You mumbled. You shook your head, you wouldn’t need it.

  
  


You, Winter, Harriet, Vine, and Elm walked down the steps that were by the landing area. You walked down to find 3 black limos and everyone talking.

Qrow, Jaune, Ren, Clover, and Marrow were talking with the General and everyone else were with team RWBY.

Penny was even here. Heh, the protector of _Mantle_ at an _Atlas_ Gala.

The girls looked absolutely gorgeous.

Clover even had a few locks of his hair curled, which, by the looks of it, Qrow liked them.

Penny was the first to greet you all, “ Salutations!” She greeted, “ Hey Penny! You look beautiful.” You said and instead of a thank you; Penny pulled you into a hug and you happily returned it.

Penny wore a light green off-the-shoulder short chiffon dress.

Well, might as well name all the other girl's dresses. The boys all wore the same sort of suits or tuxedos, literally just black, other than Qrow whose blazer was a dark crimson red.

Blake wore a dark purple lace splicing dress.

Ruby wore a dress similar to Elm’s but in red; a Satin red dress.

Yang wore a yellow Deep V-neck Halter dress, which showed a little too much that Qrow would definitely lecture her for when he comes over to talk with you all.

Weiss wore a light blue Shantelle sequin dress with a few sparkles ✨

Nora wore a bubble gum pink A-line satin long off-the-shoulder 

Nora came up to you and hugged you tight, “ Aww you look so beautiful!!” She squealed and shook you by hugging you tight, “ Can’t... breath.” You gasped out and she yelped then let you go and you regained your breath.

“ if you're ready…” James chimed in, Winter and Penny at his side. “ I think it’s time to go.” He said and you all cheered. 

“ Okay, Ace-ops, Qrow, Y/N, and Winter with me in one limo.” He started, “ Team RWBY and Penny in the second, and JNR with Oscar.” 

You walked up to Marrow who was wearing a suit and was trying to fix his tie. You chuckled, “ Need some help?...again?” You teased and he groaned, “ Yep.” He admitted. While fixing his tie your face fell a little and you got upset, maybe you should have forgiven him…

“ Hey, Marrow?” You looked up and your eyes met, “ Hmm?” He responded. You finished fixing his tie and you hugged him, which he did not expect, “ I’m sorry about Friday, I should have forgiven you. We both planned on escaping and you were able too, even if you left me, Samantha, and Xanthe, you were not being selfish.” You stopped hugging him and then looked him into the eyes again. He was smiling, “ Thank you.” He whispered. You were confused as why his eyes kept moving to the right, you soon looked to the right and saw why; Qrow heard everything.

You cleared your throat, “ Let’s go.” You said. You all got into the limo. During the drive, you got a message. You decided to fix ADA so that she doesn’t announce who messages you or calls you at random times.

“ ADA.” You called, and everyone in the limo looked at you.

_“ Welcome Back, Y/N, How can I help you?”_

“ Who messaged me?” You asked.

_“ 1 message from Robyn Hill.”_ You pulled out your scroll and ignored all of the eyes that were on you. It wasn’t a message from the group chat.

* * *

_Robyn: On our way to Sleet’s Ball._

_You: don’t you mean Gala?_

_Robyn: Apparently it’s a Ball._

_You: Greaaaat._

* * *

Of course, you’ve always wanted to go to a Ball, but this is an Atlas Ball, it’s full of Atlesians who have sticks up their asses.

“ Apparently it’s a ball, not a Gala.” You announced, “ I’m not surprised, Sleet always calls his Gala’s ‘Ball’s’ which they technically are.” James said and you groaned, “ do they do that thing where you're walking down those steps and they announce your name and it’s basically Cinderella?” You asked and everyone laughed a little, “ Well, sorta.” Winter said. You groaned even louder.

  
  


You stepped out of the Limo, and OH, it was a GIGANTIC mansion. And it was actually a ball, there were a ballroom and a few people dancing. Though not fun dancing, more like slow dancing.

You saw the Huntresses and XMAS, they were hidden. You made sure there were no eyes on you, Blake and Yang were dancing to the classical music, so were Weiss and Jaune. Ruby and Oscar were talking and standing by a long table with food on it, the Ace-ops were all talking but Harriet was talking with a young man, that must have been Mateo. James was talking with Councilman Sleet and Councilwoman Camilla, but sadly, Jacques Snake Schnee was here, Weiss noticed him and got uncomfortable so Winter decided to accompany James so Jacques wouldn’t walk up to Weiss.

It was nice of Winter to do that. Winter of course didn’t like her father as much as Weiss did, but she would do what she could for her sister.

Qrow was- Oh- you had no idea where he was. He disappeared. Clover must have noticed too as he started looking around the ballroom as if he were looking for someone. Okay, no one was looking. You walked slowly towards the Huntresses and XMAS. “ Hey!” Fiona greeted, “ You ready?” Samantha asked and you nodded.

“ Okay, let’s go over the plan.” Xanthe said, “ Samantha will use her semblance on you so you can change into that...uh... the lady who she turned into before. Then Samantha will turn into you so no one notices you're gone. Then you and Robyn will head over to the Council and boom.” Xanthe explained the plan and you nodded. The Huntresses and XMAS went in front of you and Samantha so you could hide from anyone who might be looking.

You grabbed Samantha’s hand then blue and white shimmered over both of your bodies. You saw yourself in front of you. You were now the blonde lady from before but instead, the platinum blonde hair was in a high ponytail, you had hoop earrings on and a light blue Knit Halter Mermaid Gown.

It felt...weird...the dress had no sleeves. You looked at your arm and the bruises or scars were gone. Well, it wasn’t your body, Soo...

Even though you still had the same personality, you felt like you just started a new life somehow. “ Okay,” Samantha said, it was so weird to see yourself right in front of you yet you're not looking at a mirror and plus, she had your voice. “ You and Robyn head to the council and I’ll head to your friends.” She said, you and Robyn started walking away, “ Wait!” She called and you both turned around, “ I know NOTHING about your friends.” Samantha said-well you- or Samantha- imma just say Samantha even if she has your damn body right now.

“ Shit!” You hissed and ran back towards her, “ Okay, so, Nora is just the ginger girl with the pink dress, she likes hugging people, and sometimes boops noses. Blake is the cat girl and the old White Fang member. Oscar, well, you know Oscar. Yang is the blonde, don’t piss her off, don’t touch her hair. Weiss is the Schnee, don’t talk to her about her father. Ruby is well, literally red and with Oscar at times. Jaune is Banana hair boy—“

“ The crossing guard?”

“ Yep”

“ HAH”

“ Ren is basically the male version of Mulan, he’s usually quiet, and he’s mostly with Nora. Harriet is probably talking with a guy right now, she’s the Mohawk girl. Vine just doesn’t have a tan and he has tattoos. Marrow, well, you know Marrow. Elm is the brown-haired buff girl with a heart of gold so don’t be afraid if she starts hugging you really tight and possibly picking you up. Winter and James are with the Council so they probably won’t talk to you- well me. Clover is the dude with the curls right now, he’s the leader of the Ace-ops so I’m assuming you’ve heard of him. Qrow is uh, he has a red blazer but I have no idea where he is right now.” You told Samantha about everyone and she nodded, “ I’ll be at your side the entire time.” Xanthe said. Xanthe was now your right hand too, same with Miko. 

Xanthe handed you the White Fang mask and you put it on, “ Okay. Let’s do this.” You let Robyn go a few feet in front of you as you headed towards the council.

It felt weird wearing the mask, you haven’t worn it in so long. Just the feeling of the mask brought you back to the night you met Ozpin.

“ I hope I’m not interrupting anything..” Robyn chimed up as she walked towards the Council, she looked as if she was happy to be interrupting something. “ Miss Hill! I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” Though Sleet was not disappointed, as much as he didn’t expect it, he was happy to see the other person heading for the Mantle Council Seat. 

“ Well—“

“ She’s with me.” You chimed in and interrupted what she was about to say. James’ expression changed, it wasn’t soft anymore, it was more of a stern face. James didn’t like the White Fang. When James had lost his limbs, it was from an explosion caused by the White Fang. “ Ah! Miss..” Sleet had no idea what to call you.

“ Khan,” Xanthe said, she had her hands clasped behind her back. You couldn’t say your real name or last name, because then James would have found out. You're gonna have to get used to being called Miss Khan now, “ Miss Khan, it’s a pleasure to see you.” Councilwoman Camilla said, “ the pleasure is all mine.” You said.

Jacques Schnee and James Ironwood had one thing in common; They both disliked the White Fang. Dislike is more of Jacques's word, Hate is the word for James but they still didn’t like the Fang at all. It’s funny how they used to be friends, even though they hated each other since they first met.

“ Miss Khan, we read your letter and we would love to hear about how Mantle is coming from you and Miss Hill.” Councilwoman Camilla said. James looked like he wasn’t even listening to the conversation anymore, and was instead in his own thoughts. “ Well, I’m sure you’ve heard about the recent murders in Mantle.” Everyone nodded their heads. You were about to speak again until Robyn decided to start the interrogation, “ Actually, about that,” Her gaze fell on General ironwood. Robyn was about to screw some shit up, “ Have you caught who is murdering the Mantle citizens?” She asked. You were smiling wide, “ Robyn..” You said through your teeth and Xanthe elbowed you, “ This is our chance...” Xanthe whispered quietly so no one else could hear, other than you and Robyn.

“ No, I-“ 

“ You own all Atlesians Drones and Knights and they have cameras yet you still don’t know who?” Xanthe interrupted James, “ Xanthe..” You whispered but hissed. “ We believe someone is hacking into Mantle’s drones or cameras,” James said.

It was difficult trying to do a different voice, you just had to stay strong and make sure that James won’t recognize your voice.

There was a moment of silence but Jacques broke it, “ So, Miss Hans-“

“ Khan” Miko soon came.

“ and who’s this?” Jacques asked, “ This is Miko,” You introduced him, “ My friend and my other right-hand.” Jacques scoffed, “ Anyway, Miss Khan, what about your _mutts?”_

Thank the brothers that the God of Lights spirit was holding you back from stabbing this clip-on-tie bitch.

“ I know for a fact that none of them have done any of these murders.” You assured and he chuckled, “ and how could you know for sure? Aren’t you all terrorists?” 

Xanthe stepped forward but you put your arm in front of her, “ They are _not._ “ You hissed, “ White Fang members are dying too, and I know that they would never hurt their own family, they are my family too so I will fight for my kind by finding out who has been murdering them.”

“ Your kind? You're merely just a Human, you're not one of those animals.” 

“ I—“

“ You know what, it’s time to dance.” Sleet said, it was obvious he didn’t want a fight to start, “ Camilla, Would you like to dance?” He asked and Councilwoman Camilla happily accepted.

You looked over at You- well Samantha, who was now talking with Qrow. Hmm, You wondered if she had done well at pretending to be you.

* * *

Samantha was _perfect_ at impersonating others, you and she used to trick Ghira or Sienna with her semblance and she would pretend to be you, somehow, she could even master Marrow’s voice.

Samantha thought that maybe one person would come up to her- well you- but instead it was Clover, Marrow, Oscar, and Qrow who had come to her- you-

“ Y/N!” Samantha ignored who was calling your name. It was until they said your name a 3rd time that Samantha had remembered that she was you, “ Oh uh hey…” Samantha looked up at a tall man with brown hair, and a few locks of his hair were curled.

_Curls...curls...Clover!_ She realized who he was in her thoughts.

“ Clover! How can I help ya?” Samantha asked, “ Do you know where Qrow is?” He asked.

_Qrow...Qrow...oh! Red Blazer dude!_

_“_ Sorry I haven't seen him!” Samantha said happily. Clover was confused about how you looked so happy, “ Y/N, why are you so happy?” He asked. And it was at that moment that Samantha realized, she was acting like a whole Lucy Lou Who version of you. She quickly changed the expression, “ Oh, just happy since it’s uhm, er...my first ball!” She said. “ Right..well I’m gonna go find Qrow,” Clover said and Sam waved him goodbye.

  
  


It was only about 2 minutes later until Oscar showed up, “ Hey Y/N!” Samantha made a sigh of relief to see Oscar, at least she didn’t have to pretend to be you in front of him, “ Oscar, it’s me, Samantha!” She whispered and Oscar widened his eyes a little in surprise. He looked over to where the Council was to see the same woman with Blonde hair that Samantha turned into at the Base, standing there. “ You can use your semblance on others? That’s cool! I haven’t even unlocked my semblance yet.” He pouted and Samantha ruffled his hair, “ I’m sure you will soon kid. It took Y/N until she was maybe 15 to unlock her semblance.” That made Oscar feel a little better, “ Oh and one secret, “ Samantha bent down to whisper into Oscar’s ear, “ Xanthe didn’t unlock hers until she was 21, that was last year!” Oscar definitely felt better now.

“ Heh, that makes me feel better, thanks Samantha- I mean... _Y/N_ ” Samantha chuckled a bit and watched as Oscar ran off to talk with Banana hair boy.

And of course, Marrow came. Samantha tried not to yell at Marrow with your body, the God of Light was holding her back from ripping his head off too. He grabbed Samantha’s shoulders, “ Y/N! Xanthe is here! What do I do!? What if I run into her I mean-“

“ Marrow, calm down, she’s going to be at Y-The White Fangs leader’s side the entire time. She probably wouldn’t even want to talk to you right now.” _Not like I want to talk to him either._ “ That sounds kinda bad but okay.” He let go of her shoulders and soon ran off to talk with Catgirl.

_Cat girl...kitty...black hair….OH BLAKE!_

“ Why were you talking with the White Fang leader earlier?” Samantha heard an unfamiliar voice, she turned her head to find a man with a red Blazer. _That must be Qrow._ She thought, “ Oh uhm…” If Qrow was asking why, then it was obvious to her that you didn’t tell him about you being the leader. Her eyes lit up when she thought of an excuse, “ Oh! I uh bumped into her and it just ended into small talk.” Qrow made a sigh which sounded like a sigh of relief or worry, “ Okay.” He said. He started walking away when Samantha soon realized that Clover was looking for him earlier. “Qrow!” Samantha called and Qrow turned his head to her, “ Clover was looking for you.” 

Qrow put a hand behind his head and a little red had spread across his cheeks, “ Oh, uhm, I’ll go look for him now!” He said and he quickly ran off into the crowd. Samantha chuckled, “ he must be in looooove.” She mumbled. 

Qrow’s only known Clover for about 6 days now and he already has a small crush. Yet he still can’t even figure out that Clover is flirting with him.

  
  


You walked over to Samantha, “ _switch back_.” You mouthed as soon as Samantha saw you coming towards her. You and Samantha walked into a closet and you both soon switched back, “ Anything go wrong?” You asked, “ No, not many of your friends came.” You made a sigh of relief, “ though Marrow is stressing out over Xanthe.”

You both walked out of the closet and went separate ways. It felt nice having your long hair and dress back. You saw that James was talking with Robyn, you made a sigh of relief to see that he was possibly trying to ask her for help with Mantle. Well, that's what you thought, it just looked like they were having a nice chat.

You were startled when you bumped into someone- And Oh, it was not someone you had ever expected to bump into.

The person you bumped into fell, “ I am so sorry! Let me help you up.” You put your hand out and they took it, “ It’s fine darling!” Willow Schnee had said. Willow Schnee had disappeared years ago when Jacques had taken over the Schnee dust company.

When she was standing you got a clear look at her, “ Oh wow, you look so much like Weiss...and Winter.” You could see, well, everything. Her eyes widened a little, “ You know my daughters?” She asked.

“ Yea! We went to Beacon academy together and traveled to Mistral too.” Technically you didn’t travel to Mistral with her, she just went through a portal to get there- “ Oh..” Willow said and her expression had changed, “ Mrs. Schnee, are you alright?” You asked, “ Yea. “ She breathed out, “ If I may ask, what is your name?” 

“ Y/N L/N.” 

She put her hand out, “ it’s nice to meet you Y/N.” You smiled and shook her hand, “ It’s nice to meet you too, Mrs. Schnee.”

She chuckled, “ Oh please, call me Willow.” She smiled, “ Why don’t you tell me a bit about your adventures? I’ve heard a bit of you from my dear Weiss.” She said and you gratefully accepted.

You and Willow had walked around the ballroom. You talked to her about your adventures at Beacon, the mission at Lower Cairn, Haven Academy, Argus, and well anything other than the White Fang. it was weird just opening up to someone you just met, but it felt nice, it was like a mother-daughter moment.

And by your surprise, Willow even opened up too, she told you about Jacques, how he was an asshole and how she used to be a Huntress.

“ What changed? Why’d you stop being a Huntress?” You asked.

She chuckled, “ I met Jacques then had kids.” She said. You groaned, “ Can I throw your husband off a roof?” She laughed but didn’t say anything. “ ...I’m not hearing a no..” She laughed even more, “ I’d rather you not go to jail.” and you shrugged. 

“ A drink, ladies?” A Cat Faunus had asked. Even though you were underage, you took a glass of wine and so did Willow. Some people had mistaken you for being older than 21, it wasn't their fault though, with your hair in a high ponytail, the hoop earrings, make-up, and the dress, you looked older.

“ Hold on, aren’t you 19?” Willow asked and you nodded, “ They keep mistaking me for being older than 21, though I’m not complaining, these are good.” You were referring to the drink and Willow chuckled, “ For being a mother, I should probably take that away from you, but it’s a Ball and a lovely night.” “ And I had my first drink at 17.” She added.

You chuckled, “ To underage drinking.” it was supposed to be a joke yet you still both clinked your glasses. She took a sip from hers, “ No one actually expected me to come here. It was just that...I’ve been isolated for such a long time.” She admitted, “ I just wanted to finally have fun again.” 

“ That just makes me want to kill your husband even more.”

She started bursting out with laughter, this has probably been the most fun she’s had in years, “ I believe I just met my first friend.” She looked at you then smiled. “ So, who knows?” She asked. 

“ What do you mean?”

She looked you in the eye dead serious though she was smiling, “ I saw you and your friend, she has a good semblance, it must come in handy when trying to hide your identity.” She was smirking and you widened your eyes, “ Will-Willow, you _can’t_ tell anyone.” She frowned, “ Y/N, I was never going to tell anyone. This is a big secret and I’m assuming that none of your Beacon friends know.” She looked over to where the Ace-ops, RWBY, JNR, Oscar, and Penny were, Robyn and the General soon joining them after and they were all laughing. 

You put a hand on her shoulder, but she was REALLY tall, you hated being short. “ Thank you.” You said and she smiled in response, “ I’ve heard your friends with General Ironwood too.”

“ You’ve been isolated for years yet you somehow know this.”

“ Well, people talk.”

“ You have something against the General?”

“I and James used to be friends, I grew up with him actually, our parents knew each other, we both went to the same combat school and then Atlas Academy, though when he became Headmaster and General, a lot of stuff started changing.” She said, “ Oh.” You had no words, Willow and James friends? Wow. “ Sleet loves Karaoke,” Willow said, Uhm, what was she trying to say? “ Sleet’s Balls are usually the most fun ones.” What in the damn world was she trying to say. She even had a mischievous grin on her face.

The music was back to classical, yet sad, some people were just doing really really slow dances, Jaune and Weiss were even dancing. “ You should go up there and sing.” Willow said and you started choking on your Wine, “ Excuse me?!” You asked, “ My daughter told me you could sing. I want to hear it.” 

“ Okay, Willow, not here, and probably not EVER.” 

Suddenly you were moving across the ballroom towards the stage. You weren’t even moving your feet, you looked down and saw a Glyph. _You’ve got to be kidding me!_ You were at the stage and Sleet was standing there, “ Ah! Miss L/N! James has told me much about you, would you like to try?” He was referring to singing, you looked over to Willow who had the same grin. You shrugged, “ Sure.” Suddenly the Glyph disappeared and Willow flashed you a thumbs up.

There were a few people with instruments. Oh, gods, you were doing this. You pulled out your scroll and asked if they could do these notes, it was a song you wrote about Marrow.

No one had noticed you went on the stage.

It was when the music started playing, when everyone had looked to see you. Everyone you knew was surprised and Willow was smirking. You saw her walk over to Weiss and Winter who were surprised to see their mother.

Marrow looked you in the eyes. This song was written by you after Marrow left. 

_Now or Never_

You heard the piano and that's when you started.

_Never thought that you would stay forever_

_Never asked you to commit your life_

_But I can tell you in my heart I never_

_Thought you'd up and leave me_

_Without a trace to lead me_

_But now you're standing here with that look in your eyes_

_The look that makes me hope I'll just believe your lies_

You smiled and looked at Marrow who was smiling just to see you. Warmth. The warmth was back again. 

_You're lost, you're found_

_You're hard to pin down_

_I never know if you'll come through_

_Then you appear_

_Together we're here_

_And that's all that matters_

_Somehow_

Willow was Talking to Winter and Weiss, they were happy to see their mother, and Willow was happy to see them too. Marrow’s gaze kept on you and everyone else was just smiling to see you out of your comfort zone. Because really, you would have never done this.

_Thought that I could pull you from the shadows_

_Maybe help you find your wings and fly_

_But you're a path the longer that I travel_

_The more I'm just defeated_

_My past mistakes repeated_

_I'll risk it once again to have you near my side_

_Another chance to let you just destroy my pride_

A few people had started slow dancing, even Blake and Yang. Blake had her arms around Yang’s neck, Yang had her arms on Blake’s hips, and they were just locked in each other's gaze.

_You're lost, you're found_

_You're hard to pin down_

_I never know if you'll come through_

_Then you appear_

_Together we're here_

_And that's all that matters_

_Somehow_

_I feel like I'm running out of energy_

_When you just take everything in stride_

_The way I feel_

_To you is no big deal_

_It's sad but it's true_

_That the one thing I can count on_

_Is that I can't count on you_

The one person you wrote this song about, was just right there, looking at you.

_You're lost, you're found_

_You're hard to pin down_

_I never know if you'll come through_

_Then you appear_

_Together we're here_

_And that's all that matters_

_Somehow_

  
  


Everyone started clapping as the song ended. You walked off the stage and Willow came up to you, “ That was amazing.” You couldn’t help but smile. Willow soon went back to her daughters. You decided to join Winter, Vine, and Elm who was talking to Harriet. Harriet was with a guy who had brown hair, it was curly like Clover’s, he didn’t have the body of a Huntsman, you assumed he was Mateo.

“ Hey Y/N!” Harriet happily jumped up, did she pick that up from Fiona? “ This is my _boyfriend,_ Mateo!” You put your hand out, “ Nice to meet you.” You said yet he didn’t take it, “ Likewise.” He seems nice but rude. Elm looked like she didn’t like Mateo at all.

“ You were great out there!’ Winter and Vine both said and you smiled in response.

Soon a few people started leaving and the General had called you all to the door to leave. You ran up to Willow, “ It was nice meeting you Willow!” You said, “ Likewise Darling. Tea some time?” She asked and you happily nodded your head, “ I’d love that.” 

You were walking with Harriet towards the Limo when she suddenly stopped as a Woman with platinum blonde hair had walked by. You turned back to her, “ What is it?” She had her eyes wide, “ I-” She paused and looked at the woman again, she had Harriet’s eyes and Harriet’s hair color.

“ I think I just saw my mom..” You looked at the woman, she looked just like Harriet, “ How do you know for sure?” You asked, “ The pictures I have! It’s the same woman!”

“ I--”

“ Hare! Y/N! Come on!” Marrow yelled as he was halfway through the limo door, “ Let’s talk about this later.” You said as you both walked towards the Limo.

  
  


You both got back to the Penthouse with everyone else. Marrow, Clover, and Qrow quickly changed into their usual Huntsmen clothes after about an hour of getting back, “ I thought you didn’t have your mission until tomorrow?” Elm had asked, “ We thought that too but the General decided to make us go now.” Clover said and he was breathing heavily and running around the penthouse.

Jeez, it was almost midnight.

The boys soon left and it was almost midnight. It was just you, Winter, Vine, and Elm, sitting in the living room. Harriet had gone to dinner with her boyfriend about 30 minutes ago.

You were all sitting in the living room when Harriet came back, “ We need to figure out how we're gonna get to Rivas!” Harriet yelled, “ I have the money for it, well sort of, I just need to sell it.” She put a small box on the table in the living room. You grabbed it then opened it and- OH. “ A diamond ring?!” You yelled. Winter took the ring, “ It even has dust in it!” She said, you looked at the ring again and- Wow, it had a mixture of colors in the ring, yep, that was dust.

“ Hold on, did Mateo propose?!” Vine asked, “ YES!” Harriet shouted back, “ Did you tell him your-”

“ I DID! AND GUESS WHAT?”

No one guessed and watched as Harriet kept walking around, panting. “ HE KNEW ABOUT THE DAMN CONDOM BREAKING!”

“ **_WHAT!?!?!”_ **You all screamed and Harriet nodded her head, “ HE COULD HAVE TOLD ME! I COULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS ALL! BUT HE DIDN’T!” Brothers-

“ How are we gonna get to Rivas?!” Harriet asked, a little calmer than before. 

There were a few moments of silence when your eyes lit up as an idea came to your head.

  
  
  


* * *

“ ROBYNNNNNNNN!’ You were banging on the Happy Huntresses’ hideout door. May and Fiona were soon standing at the doorway when it opened, “ Oh, Hey Y-” They stopped when they saw Elm, Vine, Winter, and Harriet. They tried closing the door but you put your foot at the door frame so it didn’t close, “ We need help!” You yelled.

“ We’ll help you but not them.” May said, “ PLEASE!” You begged and begged until May and Fiona finally gave up, “ What do you need?” They asked, “ I-”

“ She’s pregnant and we need to get to Rivas so she can have the abortion, and I know that you have a limo here that isn’t tracked.” You interrupted Harriet and everyone looked at you wide-eyed. May and Fiona opened the door more and you saw Robyn and Joanna, they were grinning yet their eyes were still wide.

“ Fine.” May said, “ I-I- Thank you so much! I mean how much do I pay-” May shushed Harriet, “ You don’t need to pay us anything. Wait here.” May and Fiona closed the door then after a moment you all heard a car starting up.

A White limo came from behind the Hide-out which had the words, ‘HH’ on the front, it was short for Happy Huntresses.

“ Get in Losers!” May yelled from the driver's seat and Fiona was in the passenger seat. Everyone got in but you stood by the driver car door, May rolled down the window, “ Yea?” She asked, “ ADA knows how to drive. Come sit in the back with us.” 

May and Fiona were hesitant and went to go sit in the back. You took a USB out and plugged it into the limo. 

_“ Welcome Back, Y/N, How can I help you?”_

“ Hey Ad’s, I need you to drive this Limo to Rivas.” 

_“ Rivas, a Settlement 18 hours and 38 minutes drive away from here, are you sure?”_

“ Yep. Start driving when I say go.”

_“ Okay.”_

You got out of the driver’s seat and then went to sit in the back. “ Okay,” Harriet said, then looked at you. You took your backpack off and then unzipped it to take out a clipboard which had a map on it. There was a line that was drawn with red that showed Mantle to Rivas, “ Since leaving Mantle means no CCT, we need a map. We need to get back to Mantle by Tuesday, yes, The General will yell at us for not being at the Academy on Monday but it’s worth it if we're helping Harriet.” You said then looked up from the map and saw Harriet smiled at you.

“ One- We’ll make a few stops and a few power naps. Two- We have enough money saved for food and abortion. Three- Harriet needs to sell the ring-”

“ Wait, ring?” Fiona asked. Harriet took the box out of her pocket and opened it.

‘ DAMN!” May said, “ That is a diamond ring.” Fiona said, shocked. “ Wait hold on, who’s the baby daddy?” May asked and Elm groaned, “ Mateo.” 

“ OH!” They both made a dramatic move with their hands, they obviously did not like Mateo. 

“ I HAVE THE PLAN TO READ HERE PEOPLE!” You shouted and everyone was now focused on you, “ Three- Harriet needs to sell the ring for the money, 4- we obviously need to stop for gas. All the stops plus the amount of time added to get to Rivas and get back...we should be back by Tuesday in the evening or night, probably night.” Everyone nodded, “ ADA GO!” The Limo started up and it was soon moving.

Okay, great, the day before you start teaching, you have to help a friend with an Abortion. Not that you were complaining, you wanted to help Harriet. Getting to Rivas means that there won't be CCT on the road so none of you could contact anyone in Atlas until you were back in Range.

It took you all long enough to convince Winter to come.

You sighed and got comfortable in your seat, none of you were wearing your usual clothes, and plus, Winter needed to hide so she wouldn’t cause attention, she was a Schnee after all.

“ Rivas, here we come.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: All That Matters- Jeff Williams. ( the song is actually from RWBY)


	31. On the way to Rivas.

You’ve all been on the road for an hour, ADA had announced each time you went into a new settlement. You all still weren’t out of Range with the CCT. It was hard to get past Atlas Personnel and Security when leaving, though May’s semblance had helped you all.

“ I can’t believe Mateo is the baby daddy,” May said, annoyed. “ How did you and Mateo even meet?” Vine asked then Harriet smiled and her face softened, “ I was down in Mantle when I bumped into him, he helped me up and then said, ‘ Nice shoes” and I said, ‘ Thanks’ and we’ve been together ever since.” She looked as if she just fell in love. You all looked at her with a face that read _‘Uhm...what.’_

Fiona was the first to break the silence, she scoffed, “ Brothers, it’s so easy being straight.” She said and you all started laughing.

“ So what’s Mateo like? He seemed like a bitch when I met him.” You said, Harriet was about to speak until Fiona decided to, “ He _is_ a bitch, he thinks he’s too rich just to talk to people down in Mantle.” Harriet scoffed, “ He is not! Did you know he volunteers at those puppy places or whatever they're called- Oh! And before we got together—“

Fiona started coughing and said words in between her coughs, “ When you _*cough*_ left us * _cough*_.” Harriet glared at her but decided not to fight with Fiona, “ Before we got together, he waited outside the academy every day until I accepted to go on a date with him.” Everyone looked at her, “ Wait hold on, was he was the dude that waited creepily outside of the academy—“

“ He sounds more like a stalker to me.” You said and everyone else agreed, they also ignored what Winter said. “ He is not!” Harriet pouted.

  
  


_“ Thayers “_ ADA Said and you looked at Harriet, “ is this the place where we can sell the ring?” You asked and Harriet nodded, “ ADA Stop.” The limo soon stopped and you looked out the window, you were all in a place which was probably filled with bandits. You looked at Winter, she was wearing a light blue hoodie and white jeans, “ Put the hoodie on, we can’t cause attention.” She nodded and put the hood on, putting a strand of hair behind her ear.

You all left the car, and left your weapons in it too. You walked inside a shop that had a bunch of different items for sale, instruments, batteries, it was more of a place just to sell stuff. Harriet walked up to a young woman with dark skin who was standing behind a counter, she didn’t seem much older than Harriet. “ How can I help ya?” She asked and Harriet put the box of the ring down, the woman got some weird looking micro-glass and looked at the ring, “ How old are you?” She asked, “ 24.” She responded and the woman nodded.

“ Harriet!” You heard a familiar yet unfamiliar voice say, you looked at the door and- BRUH, IT WAS MATEO, HOLDING A BUNCH OF ROSES. Everyone soon saw and him you all groaned, other than Harriet, “ STALKER!” You all exclaimed and Mateo just scoffed.

Harriet walked up to him, “ Uhm, Mateo, what are you doing here?” 

“ Listen, Harriet, I-I love you and I brought all these roses and each one represents how much I love you and how much I’ll love our child!” Oh, he did not know Harriet was getting the abortion. he took one rose, “ This one is for how I’ll teach them how to do a perfect backflip.” 

“ Weird flex,” you mumbled. 

“ And this one is—“

“ Okay, I think we’ve had enough of this,” May took the bouquet of roses from his Hands and dropped them to the ground. He looked at her as if he was disgusted, “ Why is she here?” He turned his head back to Harriet who was shocked, “ I-I- she’s helping me do the thing...the abortion.” 

He looked at her wide-eyed, “ Harriet, are you serious?” And Harriet nodded her head, “ No- this is my child too!” 

“ Mateo, I want to stay a Huntress! We still have so much life ahead of us-“

“ Oh of course! Of course, it’s about you being a Huntress!” He threw his arms up, “ and what is life and I-“ he looked up and saw the woman at the counter, holding HIS ring in her hand, “ Why does she have my ring?” He asked. She was about to talk but Mateo spoke again, “ You're selling my ring?! I paid good money for that! I had to track you down to this weird skeezy dump! Look I know you're mad about me not telling you that the condom broke—” “ WOAH WOAH WOAH” May and Fiona interrupted by yelling, “ You knew about the condom breaking?” Fiona asked in disbelief, “ Who asked you?” He yelled.

Ah yes, he could track her since well, you were all still in Range with Atlas’s CCT, “ You tracked me here?” Harriet asked and Mateo nodded. Harriet grabbed his scroll and threw it to the ground, “ What was that for?!” He yelled.

“ Brothers! Mateo, you're so creepy! You literally tracked me here, you're a stalker!” Harriet yelled back.

“ THANK YOU!” You, Winter, Vine, Elm, Fiona and May exclaimed at the same time. HE WAS A STALKER.

“ I- you know what?“ he bent down to grab his scroll- which was sadly not broken- and he took a photo of Harriet, “ I’m sending this to the General.” He started walking towards the woman who was holding his ring. “ And you- give me back my- oh.” 

He stopped and you took a step back when you had heard a gun cock, “ I suggest you make your next move very carefully.” The woman had a shotgun in her hand and she was pointing it at Mateo, if he had an Aura he could have survived one shot, but he didn’t.

“ I should tell her not to shoot but I kinda want to see what happens,” Winter whispered and you and Vine snorted. Mateo started backing away, “ I- you know what? Keep the ring.” He chuckled nervously. He got to the door but before he left, he waved his scroll to Harriet. Great, he was sending a photo to the General, and to add, a photo that you were all in! “ I can give you 1400 lien.” The woman said and Harriet made a sigh of relief and ran up to the woman ( who was not holding the shotgun anymore) 

“ Thank you!” Harriet cried out and took the money. You all soon ran out of the place and ran to the Limo, “ ADA CONTINUE ON ROUTE!” You yelled. you all needed to get out of Range before Mateo could send the photo and James couldn’t track you all down. The Limo started, “ You okay?” Fiona asked Harriet, she nodded, “ I honestly don’t give a shit if he sends it to the General, I’m getting this damn abortion!” “ WOO! Atta girl!” May shouted happily.

  
  


You were almost out of Range from the CCT when everyone’s scrolls had beeped. “ Oh shit.” You all said, other than Vine.

_MISSING: Harriet Bree, Y/N L/N, Vine Zeki, Elm Ederne and Winter Schnee._

Damnit, someone must have reported all of you missing, other than Fiona and May because Robyn and Joanna knew where they were going. 

You looked at the ‘Atlas Academy’ Gossip site and it was posted, you all in a place in the settlement Thayers, of course, Mateo had posted it, “ _Your Ace operative is getting an abortion, General, and your other attack dogs are helping her._ ” Was written on the caption of the post, and it was shown that the General had seen it.

You all looked at Harriet, “ Hare? You okay?” Elm asked and Harriet nodded, “ Let’s just get to Rivas.” 

Everyone agreed. The Limo had kept driving and you and May kept looking out the window, “ OH GAS AND GO!’ You and May both yelled, “ ADA STOP!” And the Limo had screeched then came to a stop. “ Gas and go?” Winter had no idea what it was, “ It’s a convenience store which also has gas.” You said then opened the car door and everyone soon went out. “ Let’s be quick though, I have a feeling that General Ironwood will have Atlas Personnel trying to track us down, we’re not out of Range yet,” Vine said and you all nodded in agreement.

Everyone ran off to get their snacks yet they limited it so they wouldn’t use all of their money, even though you could have paid for them. Though Harriet didn't get anything, she wanted to save the money for the abortion.

Oooouuuu Slushies, you got a raspberry slushie because well, they were the best, and you also got one for Harriet, you knew she loved raspberry. You got a few of yours, and Harriet’s favourite snacks. You walked up to Harriet who was standing by a dude at the counter, the cashier. You put them on the counter and looked at Harriet, “ These are for you and me.” You said and she smiled, “ Aww, thanks _sugarmommy_.” And you couldn’t help but die with laughter. 

Everyone soon got their snacks for the road and you all ran back into the car, making a sigh of relief to be out of the cold. “ ADA, Continue on route.” The car started up again and snow had covered the windows of the car. 

Half an hour had passed, “ We’re about to go out of Range.” Vine said. It must have been weird for him and Harriet, to see their old friends, you weren’t sure if May were ever friends with them, she only talked about Marrow, but Fiona had, and it must have been weird for them all to be in the same car.

“ A few more metres…” He continued then inhaled like really loud, “ And..”

“ WE ARE OUT OF RANGE!” Everyone exclaimed. No more CCT. 

  
You checked the time, it was 2:37 AM, “ Okay, we’ll take a 4 hour power nap and then get back on the road. ADA can drive us while we’re napping, but I’d rather we be awake while she’s driving, just in case she malfunctions.” It was weird, ADA had been malfunctioning at times lately, though it’s nothing Pietro can’t fix. 

Everyone started moving around to get comfortable enough to sleep, “ I also brought a taser.” You whispered and everyone looked at you, “ Guys, we may have our weapons, but we are 6 girls and 1 guy leaving the kingdom, you always gotta be prepared.” Everyone agreed, plus if someone without an Aura had randomly attacked, then it was perfect to use the Taser on them, though it was unlikely that someone with an Aura would attack 7 Huntsmen. 

Everyone soon got comfortable and you all fell asleep, yet you were all so close because it was a tight space in A DAMN LIMO, WITH 7 PEOPLE IN A SMALL SPACE.

Okay, taking a power nap is now checked on the list, now for waking up at 6AM.

* * *

You opened your eyes slowly and flinched as light illuminated the car, it shouldn’t be this bright at 6AM.

_Wait._

You sat up then checked the time and-oh shit.

It wasn’t 6AM, it was 12:03PM

“ EVERYONE GET UP IT’S 12!!” You yelled and everyone shot up but May had just laid down yet her eyes were opened, “ ADA CONTINUE!” You yelled and the car had started up then moved. “ Damnit!” You hissed. You all needed to be back at Atlas by Tuesday night, “ ADA, Speed up.” You said, _“That would be going over the speed limit.”_ Why the fuck was there a speed limit in the middle of nowhere, “ Just do it.” ADA Beeped and the car had sped up. 

“ It’s Monday. I can’t believe that I’m not standing right beside General Ironwood.” Winter said and you chuckled, “ it took us like a fucking hour to make you come with us.” Winter stuck her tongue at you and you did the same. Heh, Winter was fun off-duty.

“ Let’s go get lunch,” You said as you all passed by a restaurant of some type. “ ADA, Stop.” The car screeched and soon stopped moving. You all got out of the car. There was a sudden gut feeling to take the USB of ADA out of the Limo, you’ve always trusted gut feelings so you took it out.

When you all got inside there was a group of boys, probably around their mid-twenties. “ Heyy.” One of them had come up to you all when you walked in, “ I just wanted to say that you all got a sick ride out there.” He said. he seemed particularly interested in Winter, “ Uhm, Thanks.” May said and everyone had walked up to a table except her, “ Also when you try hitting on someone, make sure to zip up your fly.” 

“ OOH” A few of the boys had started laughing and May walked away with a devilish smirk.

You all sat down at a table and ordered food. Fiona had ordered a water and just squeezed lemon into it then poured a bunch of sugar into it, Harriet chuckled, “ You still do that?” She asked and Fiona nodded, “ It’s cheaper.” She wasn’t wrong, Vine even did the same, “ I remember when I told you to do that.” He said and Fiona chuckled.

Could this road trip...possibly make Harriet and Vine friends with Fiona again?

You all ordered your food then looked out the window of the place then looked at the car and- Shit. “ Everyone, put your hoods on.” You said and they all looked at you confused until they looked outside and saw the Limo, Atlas Personnel was here, and thank the gods that you trusted that gut feeling.

And Thank the gods that you all took your weapons with you, other than Winter. A few of the Atlas Personnel had stayed at the car and some came in, your backs were faced to them when you heard them all talking to different people, you heard a few footsteps come to you all.

“ Excuse me do-”

“ ~ATLAS! THE GREATEST KINGDOM OF ALLLLLL~” You turned around and it was the same dude who had talked to you all earlier, he was standing on the table, singing, and the person who had come up to you had walked up to him, he kept blinking towards a door by the kitchen, he was trying to help you all. You looked back at everyone and you all quickly got up, grabbed your weapons and ran for the kitchen door.

“ HEY YOUR NOT SUPPOSED TO BE BACK-”

You flipped off any of the people who had yelled at you, you all found the back door and ran for it. IT WAS FUCKING FREEZING. “ Great!” You yelled and you kicked some snow, “ If we stay out here any longer, our Aura will drop!” You yelled, “ Maybe we can help?” You heard a truck screech then you turned around and made a sigh of relief to see the same dude who helped you all out and his friends. “ We’re heading to the Settlement Nivea next, where are yall heading?” He asked, “ we need to get to Nivea then Rivas.” Harriet responded, “ Nivea is right outside of Rivas, hop in.” He said, thank the brothers he had a truck, you all got in.

“ So why are a few members of the Ace-ops, Winter Schnee, and 3 other random girls, heading to Nivea then Rivas?” He asked, “ uhm...” “ My dad lives in Nivea.” Elm interrupted Harriet. You looked at her “ _he does?”_ You mouthed and she nodded “There’s a carnival happening in Nivea tonight, we're stopping there, then you’ll be on your own. Sorry.” The dude said.

“ It’s fine!” Winter said. Now for step 3 of the plan: Make a new plan. “ What’s your name?” Winter asked, “ Anthony ” He said then looked back at her from the front of the truck, “ Nice to meet you, Anthony.” She responded.

  
  
“ Are you a Huntsman Anthony?” Vine asked and he shook his head, “ I know how to fight but I’m not a Huntsman.” He responded, “ Also here’s your taser.” He threw something to the back of the truck, “ What the-“ “ It fell out of your pocket while running.” He read your mind and you chuckled, “ Thanks.” You said and gave the Taser to Winter since she would most likely need it because she didn’t bring her weapon.

Anthony turned the radio on, “ OHH!!” Everyone shouted in the car, you all knew this song.

_I send a good mornin' text to myself_

_All this flex ain't good for my health_

_So much cake give a man diabetes_

_Thighs so thick he could never go vegan_

_Got my bundles straight from Brazil_

_Even your daddy know who I is_

_Face on 10 I could sign to Wilhelmina_

You all got to know Anthony’s friends, their names were Kevin, Lazar and Sasha. And they all got to know you all. You played a few games with them.

_I know my baby love me_

_Wanna take me to his momma_

_He say I got that honey_

_And I don't give him no drama_

_He said, girl, if you leave_

_I'd cry like boo hoo_

_He said, baby, I love you_

_Baby, I love me too..._

_Thank you okay_

_I love me too_

“ We’re about to enter Nivea!” Anthony yelled from the front, “ 3..2..1” 

“ LET’S RIDE OR DIE!” You all screamed then laughed.

_I look so good I cheat with myself_

_I don't need nobody else_

_Body real don't wear no Spanx_

_Look in the mirror and the booty say thanks_

_My baby like my confidence_

_My baby love how I finesse_

_But he could never like me more than me_

_He could never love me more than me_

_I know my baby love me_

_Wanna take me to his momma_

_He say I got that honey_

_And I don't give him no drama_

_He said, girl, if you leave_

_I'd cry like boo hoo_

_He said, baby, I love you_

_Baby, I love me too..._

_Aw that makes two of us baby_

_If you don't love yourself, who will_

  
  


You looked outside the truck window, it was maybe 8 pm when you were all close to the Carnival in Nivea, according to Anthony, the Carnival had heating grids all around it, and if you all stayed in the cold, your Aura’s would have dropped then you would all literally die from Solitas’s cold.

You were all definitely not getting back to Atlas by Tuesday night. It was a shame though, Oscar’s birthday was on Wednesday and you had a feeling that no one else knew. You knew how much he hated being alone, he couldn’t even sleep without someone there too. You just hoped everyone back in Atlas was all right. Heh, your and Oscar’s birthdays were 2 days apart.

Speaking of everyone, Glynda had sent a letter a few weeks ago that she was coming to Atlas, it wasn't a surprise, another Atlas Ball was coming up, which James had hosted every year on January 8th to celebrate New Years with the Council and the students of the Academy. And he always invited Glynda or any of the other headmasters, but Glynda was only able to come since James could only open the borders for a few people and Headmaster Theodore was too busy accepting transfer students into Shade Academy.

Wow, a lot of stuff is happening this December, on December 7th; Oscar’s birthday. December 9th; Your birthday. December 15th; Election Day.

The truck screeched then stopped, ” We're here” Anthony said from the front. You looked out the window and wow, there was a gigantic Ferris wheel and a bunch of roller coasters too, it was almost dark out so the colours of the Carnival ( or festival ) had illuminated the sky. Maybe you could get Oscar’s gift here.

You looked at Elm and noticed that she had tensed up and she seemed locked away in her thoughts. Maybe she just didn’t like being Carnivals?

You all walked through the carnival grounds, people laughing or screaming on roller coasters. Anthony had walked up to Winter, ” Beer?” he asked and Winter put a hand on the back of her head and smiled, ” Sorry, I don't drink.” she said but she was still grateful.

” Ah, I was expecting you to say that, here then.” he gave her a bottle of water and she blushed, ” Uhm, I-Thank you!” She stuttered and you couldn't help but snort.

“ Well, this is where we part ways.” Anthony said then Sasha, Lazar, Kevin, and he turned around, “ We’ll see you all on Remnant’s most wanted.” Anthony said, “ Not if we see you first on...uhm, Remnant’s got talent! Since you know, the uh, singing!” Winter said and Anthony chuckled, it was hard for her to hide her blush when she had lily-white skin. Anthony then waved goodbye.

You took your scroll out, “ Since we're in Nivea, we're close to Rivas CCT, you can call the center.” You suggested but Harriet was nervous, “ Let me.” Fiona took Harriet’s scroll and started calling the Abortion center, “ Hi! My name is Harriet Bree and I am in need of an Abortion!” Someone was talking on the other side of the scroll, “ Oh yea I do have someone coming with me! She’s really awesome and smart but never brags about it and- Oh yes, right sorry ma’am.” You snorted and watched as Fiona walked around while talking to whoever was on the other side of the scroll, making Harriet’s appointment. “ So what is the earliest we can get?” She waited for a response, “7 AM?” You made the calculations in your head, it would at least be another 5-hour drive to get to Nivea. You nodded your head, but you all still needed to find out how you were all even gonna get to Rivas.

“ Yep! I’ll take 7 AM!” Fiona said happily,” Thank you!” she said then handed Harriet’s scroll back to her, “ Your appointment is all set!” Harriet just looked at her wide-eyed but she was happy, “ I- uh-” She had no idea what to say but then her face had softened, ” Thank you.” She said and Fiona responded with a smile.

” Okay, I'm gonna walk around the little shops and try finding a gift for Oscar’s birthday.” You said, ” Oscar’s birthday!?” Fiona yelled, she was a really caring person. You nodded your head then Fiona grabbed your arm then moved you across the Carnival grounds and everyone else followed, ” LET’S FIND HIS GIFT!” She yelled and you let her pull you across the Carnival grounds.

You found a small little shop with small plushies or giant ones. You LOVED this Large Rilakkuma bear, it was so cuteeeee! There was also a penguin Grimm but you thought it wouldn't be a good idea because Oscar definitely doesn't want nightmares and then wakes up to a Gigantic Grimm plush in his dorm.

You even printed a few photos of you and Oscar or you and him with everyone else.

You looked at Elm who was hiding behind a stand but looking at someone, everyone else noticed, you and everyone else had gone to go stand by her, ” What are you looking at?” Vine asked, you followed her gaze, there was a man, brown hair and brown eyes, he was muscular but he didn't seem like a Huntsman. ” is that..” ” Yea, it is.” Elm answered your question before you could even ask, it was her dad. He was giving a toy to a little girl.

She walked up to him when the girl had walked away and he turned around, he heard her footsteps, ” Welcome to Ederne’s how-” he dropped whatever he was holding when he had turned around and saw Elm, ” Oh umm.” He put a hand on the back of his head, ” Elm..” he had his eyes wide, you were all able to hear since you weren't far from them, ” Hey dad.” She made a small little wave, ” What are you doing here?” He asked.

Elm chuckled, ” Oh you know just, uh, passing through.” She said, ” Thought i’d uh, drop by and say hi.” Her dad didn't say anything and she felt a little sad, ” I-I thought since I'm here, we could like, go get dinner or something.” She gave a humourless chuckle, ” I wish you woulda sent a letter ahead.” He said, you looked at Winter, Vine, May, Harriet and Fiona in disbelief, their faces were the same too. 

” Because I'm uh a little busy right now..” He said. Elm gave another humourless chuckle, ” Oh uh yeah, your right, I should have sent a letter, I just thought-”

” Do you need some lien or dust..? Is that why you're here?” He asked then started going through a few lien cards and Elm gave a look of disbelief. He handed her some lien, ” No-no dad.” there was a crack in her voice yet she wasn't crying, ” Look, I'm sorry, I should have sent a letter, your right. ” She said, ” Uhm I-”

” Give your old man a heads up next time.” and Elm nodded to what he said, ” Right..yea..see ya.” Elm slowly backed away. You looked at Vine, HE WAS PISSED, he then walked up to her dad, ” Are-are you kidding me?” Her dad looked at him in disbelief and surprise, ” Vine Zeki?” he asked.

” I- I'm sorry I just- she drove tons of miles to see you and you won't even go to dinner with her? You think that being a father just means giving lien to your kids?” Vine asked in disbelief, ” I don't need to explain myself to you, I never expected any father of the year awards, ” He said, Gods, he was being a bitch.

” Your mother wanted kids and I wanted to be with your mother, it seemed like a fair trade-off, it was going alright, but as that faded, I- what was I left with?” her dad said.

” What were you _left_ with? Do- do you know anything about your daughter? Do you know that she speaks 3 languages and is actually so smart and strong?” Vine looked into her eyes, ” She somehow knows the lyrics to every single song ever made and she's fearless, especially when fighting Grimm. You're not just missing out on knowing your daughter, you're missing out on knowing one of the most-” He paused to look deeper into her eyes.

” You're missing out on knowing one of the most beautiful, unique, and passionate huntresses!” He yelled, ” I-I alright that's enough.” her father took a step forward but Elm was trying to process what Vine had just said so she didn't even notice. Her father chuckled, ” Listen, you're both young, when you grow up a little, you'll realize that you can't always get what you want in life. I think you should go.” Elm had tears in her eyes now.

You looked at Winter who was just shocked by Elm’s father, she also had a look of disbelief, ” Winter?” You called then she turned to you, ” Yea?” She asked then you looked at her pocket and noticed the lump of the taser, she followed your gaze and a devilish smirk had crept onto her face, she pulled the taser out then ran towards Elm’s dad.

” Wait, Winter what are you- OH!” Elm winced as Winter had tased her had and he fell to the floor, ” I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU JUST DID THAT!” Elm yelled but she wasn't complaining as she was smirking to see her dad unconscious on the ground but Winter was looking at him wide-eyed, ” I CAN’T BELIEVE I JUST DID IT EITHER!” She yelled back, ” Oh, shit, LET’S GO!” You yelled and you were thankful that no one had noticed what Winter did. 

You all ran away then when you were all far away from the shop, you had all started walking, Elm and Vine were having their own conversation.

” Did you mean it..?” Elm asked and Vine gave her a confused look, ” Mean what?” He asked, ” What you said earlier, when talking to my dad.” Her face fell when she said dad, Vine stopped in his tracks then grabbed Elm’s wrists, ” Elm, I meant every word of it.” his face had softened and so had Elm’s. ” Thank you.” she whispered and Vine nodded, but when he started walking further Elm had grabbed his wrists this time and kissed him on the cheek.

Elm laughed at how Vine was just dumbstruck, he couldn't even process what happened, red had spread over his cheeks, it was hard to hide blush when you don't have much of a tan and live in Atlas.

  
  


You all walked up to a rollercoaster, ” Guys!” You called and pointed to it, ” Let's do it!” And they looked at you surprised yet they weren't mad, they wanted to go on the rollercoaster.

You all got in the seats, Fiona sat beside Harriet, Elm sat beside Vine, May sat alone and you sat beside Winter in the rollercoaster, because this was Winter’s FIRST roller coaster and she's gonna be grabbing onto someone and you'd rather not it be May.

The rollercoaster had started moving slowly and you couldn't help but laugh as Winter tensed up and started shaking.

The rollercoaster had started going up, and up, and up. You heard winter give a squeak when the rollercoaster got to the very top and the snow had rested on your head, you laughed but then quickly stopped when the rollercoaster started going down and Winter screamed.

” I’M PREGNANT!!!!” Harriet screamed, oh you were all screaming stuff now, ight, ” AND I’M GETTING AN ABORTION!” she finished.

” I LIKE GIRLS!” Fiona screamed.

” I’M TRANSGENDER AND MY COUSIN IS A DICK!” May screamed. 

” I’M IN LOVE WITH ELM!l Vine screamed and you all laughed, ” I’M PREGNANT!” Harriet screamed again and everyone had repeated what they screamed.

” I LIKE GIRLS!”

” I’M TRANSGENDER!”

” I’M IN LOVE WITH ELM!”

” THIS IS THE MOST FUN I’VE HAD IN MY LIFE!” Winter screamed.

” CLOVER’S GAY! I’M NOT ACTUALLY DATING HIM!” Elm screamed and you all started laughing.

Wait.

” HE’S GAY?! YESSS!!!” You screamed and Elm realized that she screwed up.

” WE KINDA ALREADY KNEW ELM!” Harriet screamed, the other people on the rollercoaster were probably so confused.

” WE KNEW TOO!” Fiona and May screamed.

The rollercoaster had come to a stop and Winter ran towards a trash can, you all winced as she puked in it, she stopped leaning over the trash can and stumbled as she walked, ” Still worth it!” she yelled and you all laughed.

” Hi!” you heard a woman's voice say, you turned around and there was a woman and a man with a baby in a stroller, ” We overheard that you were heading to Rivas! Our shop is right by the roller coaster, we can give you a lift! We're heading to Rivas too.” she offered and your eyes all lit up, ” Yes! Thank you!” Harriet yelled, ” We do Limo services here, just head to the parking lot and we’ll meet you there.” the man said.

You all started walking towards the parking lot, ” Actually, I'm gonna go to the bathroom!” Fiona said and you all nodded. 

Fiona didn't actually go to the bathroom, she had a weird gut feeling. She walked towards the shop that the woman was talking about, she found a car key then took it, she then found a door that had a sign on it which said,’ DO NOT COME IN’, she went in.

” By the brothers..” Fiona breathed out, signs that said, ’ STOP ABORTION’ we're all over the place, the words ’ KEEP THE CHILD ’ we're printed on the walls.

” Looking for something?”

Fiona screamed as she saw the man standing by the door. She didn't think and held on to the car keys tightly then ran straight towards the man and jumped onto him, he fell to the floor and groaned, she quickly got up then ran to the parking lot, still screaming.

* * *

You heard Fiona screaming, ” Fiona?” You yelled as she ran towards the parking lot, she kept pressing a button on the car key and you heard a car beep from your left, ” GET IN IT!” She screamed and none of you hesitated to run inside the Limo.

” GIRLS! WAIT!” The man and woman had screamed as they ran towards the Limo. Fiona got into the driver's seat and started the car, ” DON’T YOU DARE DRIVE THAT CAR!” The woman shouted,” FUCK OFF STRAIGHT LADY!” Fiona screamed back.

The car screeched as Fiona made a V-turn and you all grabbed onto something, ” FIONA! WHAT IS GOING ON?” May was the first to ask, ” THEY HAVE THESE LIKE ABORTION SIGNS!” Fiona yelled and you all basically understood at that point.

” Think they're gonna be mad since we stole their car?” Winter asked and you all threw your hands up, ” Nahh.” you all said at the same time and laughed a little.

” Okay, at least now we have a car to get to Rivas.” You said, it was just a 5-hour drive.

* * *

” We’re here!” Fiona yelled. You woke up from your nap and looked out the window, you all made it to Rivas, and the abortion center.

You all got out of the car then walked into the center, ” HARRIET!” Mateo yelled and ran towards her.

” UGH!” Everyone groaned when they saw Mateo and then screamed, ” STALKER!” but Harriet was dumbstruck.

” I expected you to be here like, way, way earlier. ” He said and Harriet groaned, ” What the fuck are you doing here?” She asked, ” Look, I wanna stay with you and-”

” I am gonna stop you right there. You were tracking me to Thayers then sent a photo of all of us selling your ring to the General AND saying I'm pregnant. It's over.” Harriet said and Mateo scoffed, ” This isn't what you want in life, Harriet.” 

” _You_ can't decide _my_ life and what would you know? You've never listened to me, ever.” Harriet said, ” I do-” he was cut off by Harriet punching him and everyone in the center noticed. You all winced but you giggled, it was funny. 

He got up and out a hand to the side of his face where Harrier punched him, ” Ha! Well jokes on you! Your limo is getting towed away.” You all looked out a window and saw a truck taking the limo away, ” Eh, it was even ours.” Fiona said and you snorted.

Mateo ran outside and hopefully you would all never see him again, ” Harriet Bree?” A woman who was holding a clipboard called, Harriet walked towards her, ” Do you have a friend with you?” Harriet nodded then grabbed Fiona’s hand, ” I do.” the woman smiled, ” Come with me then.” the woman said, ” We’ll be out here the entire time.” You assured Harriet before she followed the woman.

You all decided to go outside the center, it had a heating grid so you were all fine.

Fiona came outside after 5 minutes, ” the surgery should take about 2 hours.” Fiona informed and you all nodded your heads, ” Let's go get some coffee.” you suggested as you looked at the coffee shop down the street, everyone nodded.

* * *

After about 2 hours, Harriet came out, ” Oh thank the brothers you're okay!” Fiona ran up to her and hugged her, ” Wait you are okay, right?” Harriet laughed and nodded, you gave her a hot coffee, it was only hot because you kept it beside the heading grid, ” Thanks.” she said.

You all sat down for a while and Harriet drank her coffee, ” Soo...any idea on how we're gonna get back to Atlas.” Winter asked, you were all standing up now, ” I have no idea.” you admitted.

” I do.” you all gave a started yelp as you heard the voice of a man from behind you, you all turned around and- oh shit.

” Heyy…” You gave a sheepishly smile and a small wave to...James.


	32. Relapse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> forgot Marrow existed ngl.

It was Wednesday afternoon when you all got back to Atlas.

It was an...awkward...flight back to Atlas with James, everyone stayed quiet on the way back. James even flew here by himself, no Clover or Atlas Security, he just flew the damn Manta to Rivas.

James dropped Fiona and May off in Mantle, Fiona gave Harriet a hug goodbye, “ See you again soon?” Harriet asked and Fiona nodded, at least they were back to being friends! But you couldn't say the same for Vine and Fiona.

And then...he flew up to the Academy. It was maybe 5pm.

You all walked into his office but he didn’t talk, he sat down on his chair then rested his elbows on the table, interlocked his fingers, then rested his chin on his hands. He seemed mad but you weren’t gonna let him yell at anyone, Harriet needed the abortion, he should understand that.

“ You-” 

“ Stop.” You hissed at James and everyone looked at you surprised. You took a few steps forward, “ James, you said you would help the _student_ who was pregnant in the Academy, but this isn’t a student, it is _your_ Ace-operative, so please tell me what is the difference between your Operative and a Student? Because no matter who it was, you should help whoever.” You said and everyone looked at you wide-eyed, other than James.

He gave a deep sigh then looked at all of you, “ I was saying that you could have told me.” His face softened and he looked Harriet in the eyes, “ I could have helped.” He said and Harriet was NOT expecting that, honestly you weren’t expecting it either.

You chuckled, he may be the tin man, but he has a heart. 

” You should all go, I don't see a reason to talk to you all about this, but please, tell me if something ever happens.” He said and Harriet nodded, ” You should go see everyone, they've been worried sick about you all.” The Ace-ops gave a salute yet you just stood there.

You all started walking towards the door but you noticed that James was tired and he has a look of worry on his face. You waited for everyone else to leave, ” James?” You called and he looked up from his computer, ” What's worrying you?” You asked and he gave a deep sigh, ” Ruby got hurt earlier, and Qrow was with her.” Now you were worried, ” How badly hurt was she?” You asked, ” A Grimm came at her, Qrow pushed her out of the way but pushed her into another Grimm instead, there was lots of blood and she needed a hospital immediately.” He said, ” He swore he saw Summer.”

Summer Rose, she was presumed dead 16 years ago, she was Qrow’s old partner when going on Missions, and best friend. it must be hard seeing a reflection of her every single day.

” When Ruby came back from the hospital, he didn't want to face her, so he went down to Mantle, and hasn't come back since. I fear he re-”

” He wouldn't relapse, not today of all days.” 2 days ago he would have gotten a token for being 1 week sober, but you assumed Yang and Ruby wanted EVERYONE there when they gave the chip to Qrow, the kids, the Ace-ops and James. ” And he also wouldn't for the kids. For us.” You said.

” I've been checking Mantle’s security yet I can't find him anywhere, he must have transformed and flew down.” James informed, ” I'll go look for him.” You said and James hesitated until he nodded, ” Just be careful.” He said and you smiled, ” I always have been.”

Like that you walked out and saw that Harriet, Elm and Vine were waiting for you, ” We checked the Penthouse, No ones there, they're all probably in the common room.” Harriet said. 

You all walked for the common room door, ” It's showtime.” Elm said, you opened it and-

**_”WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!?”_ **Everyone screamed and threw some pillows at you, ” Uhm...busy?” They should have known where you all were, ” Getting the abortion.” Harriet wasn't afraid to tell them all anymore, ” You could have told us Hare. We could have helped.” Clover looked like he was betrayed and a look of guilt flashed over Harriet’s face, ” I'm sorry I-”

” She would have but she was scared.” You weren't gonna let anyone yell at Harriet. everyone understood but some people still felt betrayed.

You walked up to Oscar who was sitting alone on the couch, ” Oscarrrrr” You smiled wide and everyone soon looked at you and him, ” Yea?” Gods he was an adorable pip squeak, ” I got you something for your birthday!” Everyone made some surprised gasps, yep, no one else knew it was his fifteenth birthday. 

You put a hand on the open area of the couch and used your semblance, you brought your hand up and the gift you got Oscar ( with the few photos) had come out of thin air, covered in glass, you snapped and the glass broke off.

You gave him the LARGE Rilakkuma plush and the photos, he stared at it, ” I-uhm-I- T-Thank you.” You laughed at his stutters, ” I never got a gift before.” That kinda worried you, ” What else did your aunt not give you?” You asked, ” Birthday gifts, and vaccines or shots.” 

Clover looked at him wide-eyed, ” You never got a shot?!” He asked, ” Never did.” Oscar responded, ” Thank the brothers we have a breathing lifesaver here.” Marrow said and Jaune chuckled.

You looked over to Jaune, ” You know, I know a doctor, Trauma surgeon to be exact, who would love to see your skills in action. I haven't seen him in a while though, he's probably around James’ age now.” You said then remembered Marrow was in the room. You used your semblance to bring a large Shiba dog plush, you snapped to break the glass off of it then threw it at Marrow. You heard the thud.

” I-Hey what was that- Oh Thanks!” He looked down at the Shiba then smiled at you and you smiled back. 

You looked at Ruby and Yang, they had a look of worry on their faces, ” Ruby? James told me about what happened, are you okay?” You asked and Ruby had smiled and nodded but the worry hadn't left her face.

You walked up to where she and Yang were sitting and kneeled, ” I'll go look for him.” Ruby’s silver eyes had lit up a little but Yang’s hadn't, ” And i'll _find_ him.” You assured but you had to whisper so no one else could hear, Yang’s eyes had lit up too.

” Token?” Yang reached for a small box in her pocket and gave it to you, you opened it and there was a silver token inside which had, ’ _1-week sober’_ written on it.

” You guys didn't give it to him yet?” You asked, ” He doesn't even know about it, and we wanted to wait for you and the Ace-ops to come back.” Ruby said and you nodded. You gave the box back to Yang, ” You can give it to him when I find him.” They nodded.

” I'll be back.” You stood up and announced to the room, ” Where are you going?” Clover asked. The Ace-ops didn't know about Qrow stopping his drinking, it wasn't your story to tell. ” Training.” You said, ” Want a partner?” Jaune asked, ” No, I'll just work on my semblance.” You walked out of the room, ” See ya.” You said before you closed the door.

You had no idea how you were gonna find Qrow.

Mantle was a big city, he could have gone anywhere.

Maybe you could have checked the Security cameras down in Mantle. You walked to James’ Office, ” Hey James-” You stopped when James wasn't in his office, you shrugged and walked up to his computer. It asked for a password.

You knew the password to his computer, it was his old team name, he lost them in the same explosion where he lost his limbs.

SMIL, pronounced as Smile.

It was a shame though, that James had never smiled anymore.

Sadie Martinez, Max Martinez, James Ironwood, Lydia Perez.

You went through every security camera down in Mantle and found one with a bird right beside the camera, the crow’s feathers were ruffled and it had crimson eyes, yep, it was Qrow.

You looked at all the other cameras that were near the one that showed a Crow and wrote down what streets the crow had passed.

” KNOCK KNOCK BIT-” You were startled to hear someone shout and walk into the room but whoever was talking had stopped when they saw you, ” Y/N?” They breathed out.

You looked up from the computer and widened your eyes to see your old Professor, ” P-Professor Goodwitch?” You were surprised to see your old Professor in Atlas, ” What are you doing here?” You asked, ” Uhm, I just visit James-”

” You don't have to lie, I know everything about Salem.” You informed her and her eyes widened, ” So do Team RWBY and JNPR.” 

Her eyes still stayed wide and you couldn't help but give a snort at her reaction, ” Yea, it was prettyyyy crazy when we all found out. Qrow told us, I mean I already knew about the Maidens but wow, Relics and Salem? Damn.” You walked towards her and gave her a hug which she was not expecting, ” I-” She still had no words but she hugged you back. 

” It's good to see you again.” That was all she managed to say, ” It's good to see you again too, Professor.” You broke the hug, ” Where is James?” She asked, ” Probably somewhere in the Academy.” She nodded, ” Though Team RWBY and JNPR are in the common room which is down the hall. They have some... _things_ to tell you.” She nodded again and headed for the office door to leave but stopped, ” Why...are you in here?” She asked.

” Oh I-Just- Uhm, Uh doing some stuff.” Glynda was still confused but decided not to question it again and instead left the office.

You went back to the computer and checked the security cameras in Mantle and followed the crow, you lost sight of the crow at times because of some broken cameras but you were able to find it again.

The Crow landed in an alley down by Mantle but the cameras there were broken.

” ADA” You called.

_” Welcome back, Y/N, how can I help you?”_

You didn't want to assume he did...but you had to know.

”Can you track Qrow Branwen?” 

_” Qrow Branwen, Human, Male, 41, Huntsman from Beacon Academy, born in Anima._ Is this who you're looking for Y/N?”

A holographic file had come up from your scroll, it showed a photo of him and his description, ” Yes.” You said.

_” Last seen near Chester Road, has turned off location ever since.”_

You gulped, ” How many...bars...are near Chester Road.”

_” 4.”_

” Thank you.” 

_I gotta stop saying thank you to a robot._

_” Is that all you need?”_

” Yep.”

_Everyone should really give me a ’The person who finds Qrow’ role_

You could have gotten some help from the Ace-ops but Vine, Elm, Harriet and Winter were tired from the trip and it doesn't seem like Qrow would want to see the person who has an opposite Semblance of his if he thinks Ruby’s hospitalization is because of his misfortune.

Well there was always Marrow but you didn't want him down in Mantle.

There are still those who actively abuse Faunus and Marrow wouldn't be safe in Mantle, even if he can protect himself, there are still people who will pull his tail.

And plus, you wanted the Ace-ops to get to know Glynda.

And you didn't want to bring any of the kids, they may have been 1 year younger than you, but when Qrow is gone, you take care of them.

You left the office then soon went to the landing area in front of the Academy.

You walked into the Manta, ” Mantle, Chester Road to be exact.” You told the Pilot, ” Sure, but civilian transports will stop in 30 minutes.” The Pilot said, ” It's fine.” The pilot took the Manta down to Mantle, Chester Road.

The Manta went down to Chester Road and you thanked the Pilot. It was maybe 6PM now.

You checked your scroll and looked at the 4 bars ADA had listed.

It took maybe 5 minutes to get to the first bar. You Walked In. No Qrow.

You got to the second about 10 minutes later. No Qrow.

The third bar 5 minutes later. No Qrow.

It was the fourth Bar when you found him. The bar was empty, no one was there, not even a bartender, he was just sitting there, lonely.

He really did it…

” Hey Qrow..” You whispered and sat beside him, he glanced at you but stared at the drink. 

5 glasses, he was having his 6th right now.

” Hey.” You could barely hear his whisper, ” It's not your fault.” You said.

” The mission was my idea so it was my fault. I made a deal with the darkness, and everyone around me has paid the price. I thought I could be around somebody - anybody - without my Semblance making it… complicated.” A look of sympathy fell onto your face.

” But you _can._ You have Clover.” His eyes lit up a little at the mention of his name and you grinned but you knew he was still jealous of Clover, ” I know your probably pissed that Clover has a good fortune semblance, but he can _help,_ his semblance cancels yours out-

” Doesn't mean it's not real.”

You gave a deep sigh, ” You know how I feel about your semblance, you know how the kids feel about your semblance and- Okay you know what, you said you saw Summer.” It was as if the light had faded away from him. ” You have so much you want to say but you haven't been able to open up to anyone since Summer left, haven't you? Yang and Ruby’s dad must have been busy raising them and your sister wasn't even there anymore. What's going on?” The bartender came back and Qrow asked him for another drink, yet you didn't mind, if he was gonna talk about how he felt then he would need It, you would even need one too.

” Vacuo’s golden whiskey.” You said and the Bartender nodded and soon got you your drink.

” After losing Summer, it was hard to trust or get close to anyone again. Summer always saw me for me, not my Semblance. But ever since she left, I got used to people blaming a lot of stuff on me. Anything bad that happened, I accepted it as my fault. It's like I'm alone now.”

Your face fell, that must have been horrible for him, no wonder why he always tried to stay away from you all as possible.

” But you’re not alone! You have James, me and the kids, the Ace-ops, and Clover.” His eyes lit up again at his name and you smirked but his face had fallen again.

” I would love to work with someone again...but my Semblance just makes it complicated. it was why I was avoiding everyone at the Ball.” 

More like he was avoiding Clover.

There were 8 glasses now, he was gonna pass out at one point.

He smiled, ” Clover...he even sees me for me too. He doesn't see my Semblance at all...I feel safe with him.”

It was heartwarming to see him getting close to someone again, and having a partner other than Summer.

Ohh you were definitely doing something with Clover and Qrow too.

The drinks made you remember something, the day back in Argus.

If there was one thing to get Qrow away from this bar, it was the mention of his nieces or all the kids.

And you were one of those kids.

” You know.” You started and Qrow had finally looked away from his drink, ” You probably won't remember what I said because of how much you drank, but I might as well tell you.”

” But before I do tell you. Qrow, we love you, The Ace-ops may not know you much but they probably love you as much as the kids do. You've protected all of us since you started travelling with us, and well you could have flown to Mistral but you decided to watch over us. You were hurt when your sister betrayed you, but when you saw Weiss with that spear in her, you looked more hurt from that. You were so hurt when you realized what you did to Oscar and same with when you saw the cannon aiming at Ruby in Argus.” You took the drink away from his hand, ” We care about you, and nothing will change our minds about you, even your drinking.”

His eyes lit up and he finally smiled, your eyes met crimson.

” But sometimes you can do...stupid stuff, when drunk. ” He looked at you confused, ” Back in Argus...you sort of, uhm, smashed a wine bottle over my head..” He choked on his spit and looked at you wide-eyed, ” I did _what?!_ ” 

” You smashed a wine bottle on my head dude.”

He stayed wide-eyed, he had no words. 

” I-I am so sorry, I-Didn't-Brothers-I am so sorry! I didn't know I did that! If I did I would have apologized as soon as I-”

” Qrow you drank half a wine cellar, you were drunk out of your mind, it's fine.”

” But it's not fine-”

” Qrow.” You hissed, ” It's _fine._ We both felt betrayed by Oz, I can understand why you drank so much, especially since you've trusted Oz your whole life.” You've only trusted Oz for 2 years, 2 and a half if you count the time back in Mistral.

He stared at a glass with alcohol in it for a few moments then shoved it away and a bliss of relief had washed over you. He cared for the kids so, so much.

” What are they gonna think of me?” He mumbled. He was ashamed that he relapsed

” I saw the token in the girl's dorms. I've never felt so...loved. You're all so proud of me, and I just wasted everything. I can already see the kids' disappointed faces.” 

You saw him put a hand over his stomach then he puked onto the floor and you winced, thank the gods that the bartender was in the back, ” We should go before the bartender sees what you did.” He nodded and stood up.

You put some lien on the table, ” You don't have to pay.”

” Eh, it's fine.”

You both walked out. It was 7 pm now, the street lights were on and the orange lights had illuminated the sky.

” The kids are gonna be so disappointed in me.” He mumbled but an idea popped up into your head, ” They won't be disappointed...if they don't know.” He looked at you confused.

” What are you saying?” He asked.

” We don't have to go up to Atlas. Technically we can't since civilian transports stopped 30 minutes ago.” You said.

” But they'll be worried if we're not back up to Atlas.”

” They'll be worried if they see that you started drinking again.”

He was about to talk until he puked again then passed out and you winced. 

You didn't want them to see him drunk, they would have been so disappointed.

But how the fuck were you supposed to hide him from the others.

” Y/N!” You turned around and saw Robyn, ” Hey!” She ran up to you and then noticed Qrow passed out on the ground, ” Oh hey, it's 5-o’clock shadow!” she bent down a little then she smelt the alcohol, ” Is he drunk?” She asked and you nodded.

” Ah so that's why he's passed out, I thought you might have killed him.” You snorted.

An Idea popped up into your head. Ruby, Yang and James would call at one point to see if you found Qrow and they'd likely ask for proof if you found him, but if they see him like, well, this then they'll know he's drunk.

You're gonna need someone with a semblance to...look like him.

You smiled, ” Help me get him to the base?” She looked at you surprised, ” Really?” She asked and you nodded your head. She shrugged, ” Okay.” She helped you pick up Qrow, thank the brothers that this bar was near the Slums.

After about 10 minutes of you both carrying up Qrow, you got to the White Fang base.

” And who's this?” Xanthe asked as she came down the stairs in the base with the rest of team XMAS and the Huntresses. ” Qrow.” you responded.

” Oh I remember him! From the Ball!” Samantha's eyes lit up, ” What's up with him?” Joanna asked, ” He’s drunk.” Robyn answered before you could, they all made a sound of realization, ” Let's get him up to the dorms.” You said.

You and Robyn carried Qrow towards the dorms in the base, Team XMAS’s dorm to be exact and laid him into a bed, Fiona put some medicine and a bottle of water on the night table beside the bed.

” Samantha.” You called and turned to her, ” Can you use your semblance to change into him?” You asked and she nodded then blue and white shimmered over her body then there was another Qrow in front of you, ” He kinda looks like a pirate.” Robyn said and you snorted.

You checked the time on your scroll, 7:15. You noticed some messages from the group chat.

* * *

_Lucky-Charm: Y/N where are you? You aren't in any of the training rooms._

_Jimbo: I thought she told you all that she went to go find Qrow?_

_Lucky-Charm: No?_

_Firecracker: Ruby and I knew._

_Gotta Go Fast: What's up with Qrow?_

_Jimbo: Didn’t you all know he had a drinking problem but quit?_

_Lucky-Charm: NO?!_

_Stretchy Man: It was pretty obvious to me, the puking and the medicine?_

_Hammer Time: We live with him! How the hell did we not notice this?_

_Ice Queen: He always tries to hide it._

_Ice Queen: I've known him since I first became James' right hand, I know about his drinking problem very well. Though I never knew he quit._

_Bookworm: If they are still down in Mantle then they won't be able to come back up to Atlas, Civilian transports stopped 30 minutes ago._

_Crater Face: @Mary Poppins_

_Mary Poppins: Yes?_

_Firecracker: Did you find him?_

_Mary Poppins: Mhm._

_Jimbo: Proof?_

* * *

Was it not said they would ask for proof?

You pulled up a video on your scroll of Qrow talking and played it.

” Think you can master this voice?” You asked Samantha. After a few moments of the video playing, Samantha cleared her voice, ” I think I can.” She said in Qrow’s voice. Holy shit she was so good.

” How do you do that?!” May asked, ” It's actually another aspect of my semblance.” Samantha responded. Oh wow, you did not know that.

Your scroll started ringing, it was a facetime from Ruby, ” Ready to act?” Samantha nodded. You accepted the call, thank the gods you told Samantha who Ruby and Yang were.

You made sure that before you answered the call, they couldn't see the entire base or any of the White Fang symbols.

” _Uncle Qrow!”_ _Ruby yelled excitedly from the scroll._

_” Where are you?!” Yang asked, she was happy but worried._

” I decided to just...get my head clear and take a walk around Mantle.” It almost sounded like a question, Samantha has no idea what to say to Qrow’s nieces.

_” Oh, well are you okay?” James' voice soon came in and his face popped up behind Ruby and Yang._

” Totally Fine!” Samantha responded but she tried not to sound too happy since she's met Qrow before..well..sorta.

_” Okay, just make sure to be here for briefings tomorrow!” Clover’s voice soon popped up and he was beside James, you saw Yang’s smirk and you couldn't help but smirk yourself when Clover came in._

” I and Y/N are gonna go..continue exploring Mantle.” Samantha said.

_” BYE!” Yang and Ruby yelled._

_” Have a good exploration.” James said._

_” We’ll see you tomorrow!” Clover said and then the Call ended._

Blue and white shimmered over Samantha’s body and she was back to her usual self.

Xanthe handed you some files, ” What are these?” You asked, ” More files on dead White Fang members or Mantle citizens.” She responded.

Sympathy had washed over your body as you looked through every file, people of different kinds, people with different colours of flesh, gone, just like that, with no evidence other than a gunshot involved.

”I'm a disappointment ” You heard someone whisper in the dorm, you looked at a bed and saw that Qrow was moving a little bit, he was half awake. 

You walked up to him, ” Shh, go to sleep.” He kept his eyes closed and you made a sigh of relief to see him go back to sleep, but what he whispered didn’t leave your head.

” I wish your Semblance was the opposite of it.” You said then looked at Xanthe, ” Sometimes I do too, but this semblance is still pretty handy.” She responded and you chuckled.

You pulled up a chair then sat by the bed as you kept looking through the files.

Qrow twisted and turned in the bed and you made sure to move the night table so his arm wouldn't hit the water bottle or medicine on it.

A few hours passed as you read more files of those who are dead and wrote letters to those who knew them.

The lights were turned off and the only light was the lamp on the night table.

You looked around the room and saw that team XMAS were already sleeping on the other beds, Miko was still awake though and he was putting a blanket over his girlfriend.

You smiled, ” You really love her, don't you?” You asked as he adjusted the blanket on Xanthe, ” I've loved Xanthe since the day we got together.” You chuckled a bit then he laid down beside Xanthe on the bed.

” Night.” You said as he closed his eyes, it was probably 11 pm.

You soon dozed off in the chair and you didn't even feel Samantha wake up or put a blanket on you.

But

You had no idea how you were gonna explain to Qrow where he was..

Or how you'll tell him that your leader when he finds out where he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write you and Qrow in the bar with Clover instead of you but I wanted an excuse to bring back what happened in Argus.
> 
> Xanthe’s semblance still remains a secret..


	33. We're more alike then you think.

Qrow woke up with his face in something...soft?

_This doesn't smell like my pillow,_ he thought, normally his pillows would have stains of drool or the smell of bad breath but the pillow smells like...mint?

Suddenly his head was in pain and he groaned into the pillow.

_Make it stoooop._ His ears kept ringing and the pain kept coming.

He groaned into the pillow again then finally got up and- this wasn't his room.

He noticed the other beds in the room and the people in them, _Am I in a hospital?_

He looked to his right and his face softened when he saw you in the chair beside the bed, and he also noticed the water bottle and medicine.

He grabbed them and the sound from it woke you up.

” GO AWAY- Oh, you're awake.” You smiled and everyone woke up after, ” Do you remember anything that happened?” You asked, ” All I remember is...Summer?” He responded. FUCK. ” Anything else?” You asked.

His eyes lit up, ” We were in the bar!” He shouted and Xanthe jolted up from the bed, ” PANCAKES!” She yelled as she woke up and Miko laughed at his girlfriend.

” Who are they?” Qrow asked but before you could respond, Robyn came into the dorm, ” Hey 5-o’clock shadow is awake!”

Qrow snorted, ” Robyn is it?” He asked and she nodded, ” How are you feeling? I lowkey thought Y/N killed you when I found you and her outside of the damn bar.” 

He looked at you and his eyes lit up, ” The bar...oh my Gods the kids are gonna be so disappointed!” 

” Qrow, I took you here so they wouldn't know you relapsed.” He made a look of realization, ” Here...where is here, exactly?” he asked.

Ah fuck.

” Just have some medicine and I'll explain in a bit.” You got up from the chair but your back felt like shit, gods you were gonna need a massage at one point.

Qrow put the pill in his mouth then he took the cap off of the water bottle and drank from it.

” Hey so Jacques SNAKE SCHNEE BITCH is doing some crap right now and your gonna have to make a move since you know you're the White Fang leader and-” You looked at Zedd wide-eyed as he walked into the room and he soon stopped when he noticed Qrow.

” Oh he's awake..”

” YEA NO SHIT SHERLOCK!”

” LEADER!?” Qrow yelled from the bed, ” EXPLAIN! NOW!”

You gave a deep sigh, ” Leave us.” You demanded then everyone in the room nodded and left.

_” Good luck.”_ Miko sent telepathically. Yep, Miko has the same semblance as Fox.

_” We're listening to the conversation by the way.”_

You snorted but remembered that Qrow was still staring at you, a look of confusion and concern was mixed over his face, you sat down on the chair and the flames coming from the fireplace in the room had danced around in the corner of your eye.

”We’re more alike than you think.” You said and he raised an eyebrow, ” Both born with no parents, raised by bandits, well you were raised by bandits, I was just raised by misguided Faunus...who acted like bandits.” He gave a small chuckle but confusion had still stayed.

” I don't actually have parents.” You admitted and even more confusion had washed over him, ” But you said-”

” Yea I know that on the way to Atlas I told you all about my family. Those were lies.” You informed and he made a sound of realization.

” The bandits gave you your name, the Faunus gave me my name.” 

” Is that why that dude said White Fang?” He asked, referring to Zedd. You nodded your head, ” But he also said leader…” Your eyes met crimson.

” Yea, I'm sort of, the leader of the White Fang…”

He spit out the water he was drinking and you wiped some spit off your face, ” Ew.” You whispered to yourself.

” What do you mean _leader?”_ He raised his voice and his question was almost a yell.

You sat down on the bed beside him and your eyes met crimson again.

_” You know you should-”_

_” Miko shut the fuck up before I make Xanthe use her semblance on you.”_

_” I'm only shutting up because I'm afraid of her semblance.”_

Qrow noticed the sudden change in your expression and he raised an eyebrow in confusion, ” Oh I'm talking to someone telepathically.” A look of realization washed over his face but soon went away.

” The White Fang raised me. They were my family, and I turned my back on them when I left. I left the people I loved, to do such horrible things and they couldn't even escape. ”

_” Okay it wasn't THAT bad.”_

_” DO YOU WANT ME TO TURN YOU INTO GLASS?”_

_” SHUTTING UP NOW”_

” You may not agree with me on this, but you don't turn your back on family, and I can understand that you don't agree on that because we'll- they were bandits! They didn't care about you or your sister.” He nodded his head, ” They'd Always use us as bait for Grimm. Abuse us too.” He whispered.

” But the White Fang taught me everything I needed to know, took me to places that I didn't even know existed. They trained me, I made friends, and I found love. ” You thought of Adam, Marrow, and all those who trained you, like Ghira and Sienna. And your friends, the ones right outside the door.

” The White Fang needed someone, and that someone was me. AND NO, I was not the leader during the Fall of Beacon or the attack on Haven if that's what you're thinking.” You said, ” I've only been the leader since AFTER the Attack.”

” You really care for them, don't you?” He looked to the door, ” They’ve been listening the entire time.” He said and you chuckled, ” Yea, I know. Their dorks but they're my dorks.” 

He gave a small chuckle, ” Qrow I trusted you with this secret, so can I trust you to keep it a secret?” He looked away from you then watched as the flames from the fireplace danced around. It worried you that he didn't respond but then the worry left when he nodded.

” Yeah.” He breathed out, ” I trust you. But promise me that you won't do some stupid stunts.” He said and you snorted in response.

” I won't-”

” AH!”

You and Qrow looked at the door then saw that it broke down and XMAS and the Huntresses were all piled up on each other.

” Fiona your foot is in my face!” Joanna complained and started breathing on it as if she was trying to push it away and Fiona giggled, ” Stop that's ticklish!”

” Xanthe’s leg is in my face and she's in Miko’s face!” Zedd tried to push her leg away from his face but her foot was stuck under Robyn.

” Oh I don't mind Xanthe in my face.”

” EW!” Everyone shrieked at Miko being corny.

” Robyn you're crushing my foot!” Xanthe cried out.

You and Qrow laughed at their desperate attempts to untangle themselves.

They finally accomplished it.

” So who else knows?” Qrow asked.

” Pietro” Xanthe’s eyes lit up at his name, they were both scientists ( She was also a Huntress) and she looked up to him, she built weapons and other stuff with him. They were like a father and daughter pair. 

” Maria.”

” Grimm Reaper?” Samantha asked and you nodded, yep, Samantha loved the stories and legends of the Grimm Reaper while growing up.

” Oscar.”

” Oscar knew this before me?!” Qrow asked and you snorted, ” I told him like 5 days ago.”

” Oz knew I was in the White Fang but he doesn't know I'm the leader.”

” OZ KNEW YOU WERE IN THE FANG?!” Qrow yelled and you snorted again.

” Marrow and Clover knew I was in the Fang.”

” I FEEL BETRAYED” You wheezed.

” Oh and Willow Schnee.”

” WILLOW SCHNEE?!” Everyone yelled in surprise and you flinched, ” Yea, she was at the Ball and saw me change into that blonde lady.”

” Blonde lady?” Qrow asked, ” So you know how at the Ball there was a lady with blonde hair and a White Fang mask?” He nodded, ” Yea that was me.” He looked at you confused, ” But I was talking to you at the Ball when she was talking with the Council?”

You smiled then looked over to Samantha, white and blue shimmered over her body and she was you,” Don't you mean me?” She said in your voice and Qrow made a squeak of surprise.

” How-”

” Semblance.” You both responded and Qrow made a sound of realization.

Blue and white shimmered over her body and she was back to herself.

You checked the time, 7AM, ” We should get back up to Atlas, briefing starts soon.” Qrow nodded then soon stood up.

You waved everyone goodbye as you both left the base.

You both got up to Atlas Academy, you stopped when you reached the briefing room door.

” Think you can hide the fact you were drunk out of your mind?” You whispered and he shrugged, ” I just need some coffee.” You chuckled, ” I'm sure Jaune will have some for you.”

You both walked in.

” UNCLE QROW!” Ruby shouted and threw a pillow at him, where the fuck did she even get a pillow from.

” Good morning you two!” Clover said happily from the front of the room. You sat beside Marrow and Qrow sat down beside his nieces.

” Coffee?” Marrow was holding 2 coffee mugs, he was holding out one for you, you gratefully took it, ” Thanks.” You said and he smiled, and Gods did that smile just warm your heart.

Glynda was even in the room.

” Good morning everyone.” Clover said and there was a holographic screen behind him, ” I think we all know what we do every morning, so I'll just tell you the news and the missions.” He said then turned to the screen.

” News is: General thinks it will be best for us to have partners. So, here are your partners. Ren and Nora on outer wall duties and Weiss and Nora on supply runs, you can switch it up sometimes too. Weiss and Ruby for clearing out Grimm. Yang and Blake for supply runs. Qrow and Me on supply runs and outer wall duties. Marrow and Y/N on Outer wall duties and supply runs. Jaune when you're done with crossing guard duties, you'll switch places with Y/N when she has to do teaching.”

Oh Gods you forgot about teaching.

” Elm and Vine for supply runs, Elm and Harriet on outer wall duties.” He finished, ” Now for clearing out Grimm teams.”

” Me, Qrow and Y/N will be 1 team when it comes to cleaning out Grimm, but if me and Qrow are on supply runs at times then it will be Y/N, Blake, Marrow and Jaune, you all performed excellently on your last Grimm clearing. Nora, Elm, Ren and Vine on another team. Harriet, Yang, Weiss and Ruby for the last team.” He said and you all nodded, ” Though those will be for _tomorrow_.”

” Vine and Y/N on supply runs then Vine will join Elm when Y/N has teaching. Qrow and I on Outer wall duties. Jaune you have your crossing guard duties.” Jaune groaned and you laughed, ” Hey Jaune got any more casseroles?” You asked and he groaned again, ” There's like 5 in the fridge in the common room.” You laughed even more.

” Weiss and Ruby on supply runs. Ren and Nora will do outer wall duties in the South. Harriet and Marrow in the North. Blake and Yang in the East.” He clapped and you all understood that as ’Briefing over.” ” Good luck, Transports are here.” He informed you all as you left the room.

* * *

You and Vine’s supply run went well, when you both finished and had time before the next mission, he taught you how to ride a motorcycle which runs on gravity dust near the North wall and Marrow and Harriet watched in Glee.

You were actually a really fast learner, ” Remember to always watch the speed limit!” Vine yelled as you had some fun with the bike.

You were definitely adding ADA to the bike.

Soon your mission with Vine ended and you had teaching, History to be exact, or Legends of Remnant as Doctor Oobleck always put it.

You walked up to the door that would lead into the classroom.

” Okay.” You whispered to yourself, ” It's just first years and second years, and plus, you know everything about the history of Remnant!” You assured yourself.

You opened the doors.

And walked in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TEACHING BEGINSSSS


	34. Professor L/N

” Any questions?” You asked at the front of the class.

The classroom was exactly like classrooms at Beacon just more, well, funded.

” Pardon me, but you seem very young to be a teacher.” A student said and you chuckled, ” Yea, I'm 2 years younger than the usual age.” A few students made sounds of awe.

You looked at Oscar who was in the corner of the room and paying attention to everything. This must have been the first time he was ever in an Academy and learning.

You turned to the board in the room, ” Who knows about the Great War?” You asked and turned back to the students. This was basically a Lecture Hall.

A few students made some ’Eh’ noises, well they were first years so it wasn't their fault if they didn't know much about the Great War.

” The Great War, also referred to as ’The War’, was a conflict that occurred on Remnant, the being between the Kingdoms of Vale and Vacuo on one side and the Kingdoms of Mantle and Mistral on the other side. It came to an end 83 years ago.”

You wrote that down on the board. You noticed Oscar was completely interested, Gods he was such a dork.

”In the century leading up to the War, there was high tension between the kingdoms, mostly caused by Mistral, which they then allied with Mantle. The two traded frequently, with Mistral sending supplies and Mantle providing insight on how to settle the snowy northern region of Anima. After an incident with the Grimm, Mantle came to believe that, if it revoked the arts and repressed self-expression to control its citizens' emotions, it would be safer from Grimm. Instead of losing their alliance, Mistral complied with Mantle's wishes to an extent, banning the arts and self-expression everywhere in the kingdom except for within its central power. Though the King of Vale didn't like that at all, Slavery wasn't the way to treat citizens.” Yep, this war was horrible.

” Eventually, Mistral and Vale both set their sights on settling the islands and peninsulas on the east coast of Sanus, which is in between Vale and Vacuo. Despite what his citizens wanted, the King Of Vale chose to share the land with the settlers from Mistral.” Somehow, Oscar was even more interested than before and you didn't even get to the war part yet.

”However, the immensely high tensions ultimately resulted in a riot between the two bands of settlers. No one knows who attacked first but I'm gonna guess Mistral, but it began the first battle of the Great War. Mantle quickly came to Mistral's aid, and battles were fought on both Sanus and Anima.” You chuckled, ” Yep, Vacuo missed out on the entire party for a while.”

” A while?” Oscar asked and you nodded, ” They soon joined in on the party.” You said.

” When Mantle and Mistral began pressuring Vacuo to ally with them, the citizens of Vacuo realized that if Vale fell, there would be no one left to stop Mistral and Mantle from conquering Vacuo. So, Vacuo rallied against Mantle and Mistral and pushed them out of the Vacuan territory and allied themselves with Vale.” 

” Didn't Vale steal something from Vacuo?” A student asked, ” Yes but it wasn't just Vale, it was Mantle and Mistral too.” You responded.

” What did they steal?” Another student asked, ” Dust.” There were a few surprised gasps.

” Didn't Atlas first find dust?” A student asked.

” Guys, Atlas runs on gravity dust, so how would Atlas have dust after they raised it into the sky?” Everyone widened their eyes in realization and you couldn't help but give a snort.

” Yep, Vacuo first found dust but it was stolen during the War, and Vacuo was left with nothing, but sand.” You explained.

” The War lasted for about 10 years. Food and Dust rations were put into effect, development of technology accelerated, Humans and Faunus on the battlefield grew closer and Grimm attacks increased worldwide. Oh yea! The War also started the Faunus Rights Revolution.” A few students scoffed at the word Faunus and that pissed you off.

” the Great War came to an end during the Vacuo campaign, where Mantle and Mistral targeted Vacuo, hoping to cut off their enemy's Dust supply by conquering Vacuo's mines. The King of Vale arrived and personally led his army alongside Vacuo's, thoroughly annihilating the opposing forces. It is said that Vale's King, from then on was nicknamed the Warrior King, laid waste to countless men on his own, but historians believe that this feat was aided by Vacuo's unusually violent weather patterns and Mantle's inexperience in desert combat. Ultimately, it was the deadliest battle of the entire war.” 

” The King Of Vale led the final attack himself?” A student asked and you nodded.

” It was said that once the War ended, everyone had bowed down to The King of Vale.” You chuckled, ” Honestly I think it was true.” You glanced at Oscar who was still very, very interested.

” Following this battle, the four kingdoms gathered on the island of Vytal, where they formed a treaty and planned the future of Remnant. Although the Kingdoms were ready to bow before the rule of Vale and it's Warrior King, he decided against it. Instead, the leaders redistributed territories, revoking slavery and restructured the governments. The Faunus were given equal rights and were given the continent of Menagerie for their own use in order to compensate for their previous mistreatment. Honestly it was More like Abuse instead of mistreatment.” Faunus were treated horribly during the war, it was a shame that people still abuse them.

” And that treaty was also what brought the Huntsman academies.” You finished and wrote everything on the board.

” Professor, What about the Faunus Rights Revolution?” A student asked, a Faunus to be exact.

You looked at one of the very, VERY tall bookshelves that reached the very top of the room ( with no damn lights) and it was SO DARK so you couldn't see the name of the books.

You took the pair of glasses off of your belt and put them on, you pressed a button at the side and the glasses glowed Amber.

” What's that?” Oscar asked.

” BunnyVision”

” Bunny-wha?”

” Night vision glasses. So I can see the top of the bookshelf better.” it was so weird how the room just didn't have lights and trusted windows instead.

You saw a book that was called, ’ The Faunus War’ 

You started climbing the bookshelf, it was probably 13feet tall.

” Be careful Y/N!” Oscar yelled as you started climbing the bookshelf and a few of the students made some surprised gasps at Oscar.

” Do you know her?” A student asked and he nodded. You let the conversation with Oscar and the other students go on but you couldn't say it was a nice conversation, it was more of a ’making fun of Oscar’ Conversation. If you could, you would kill them.

You grabbed the book then jumped down and quickly opened Hush. It was a slow fall since Hush was in it's Parasol version.

You walked to your desk which was at the front of the room and read a bit of the book.

” The Faunus Rights Revolution, which is also referred to as the Faunus War, was a revolution staged by the Faunus in vengeance against Humans trying to centralize their species in Menagerie. As a result of winning the war, Faunus are allowed to live within the four Kingdoms. It is not to be confused with the Great War, an earlier and far larger conflict based around social and cultural philosophy, rather than racial politics.” You looked up at a few Faunus in the room.

” Who here has been discriminated against for their Faunus traits?” You asked and a few Faunus had raised their hands and some Atlesians looked at them as if they were covered in mud with feathers on top, or coming out of a Grimm pool like Salem did. Whatever the case, they looked at the Faunus as if they were disgusting.

” This is the exact reason the Faunus war had started.” You said, referring to those who had their hands up and those who looked at them disgusted. ” And please if you ever need help, don't be afraid to ask.” Atlas was one of the places that discriminated against Faunus the most.

” Let me tell you all a story, about a Faunus and a Human.” You sat down on top of the desk at the front, ” The daughter of the old leader of The White Fang and the old Schnee Heiress.” Oscar and the Faunus in the room started listening, they were gonna be very interested in this story.

You noticed the 2 chess pieces on the table beside you, a Black Knight and a White Rook.

” Hatred, Resentment. Fear, Injustice. Never Ending sorrow. After all this time, After all these generations... How beautifully strange it is... that in this quiet place, far from the blood-soaked battlefields, two simple souls would meet at one Huntsman initiation.” You grabbed the 2 chess pieces. 

”Running from fetters binding them to the fates of their forefathers, unknowingly toward each other, they stop and stare. Like chess pieces across the board, black and white, and destined for war, the Daughter of the White Fang reveals herself to the Heiress of the Schnee, and braces herself-- For a blow that she never thought would come. Friendship.” You placed the 2 chess pieces down again.

”Oh, how beautifully strange it is... that in this tragic world filled with pain and suffering, two chess pieces would simply... walk away from the game. ”

”Checkmate.” The 2 chess pieces had stayed up, to show that even if they were destined to go to war, they still stand strong and stay together.

All though the story was to actually show the time when Blake accidentally revealed she was a former member of the White Fang, it still worked when it came to adding the word Friendship.

” That was..deep..” One of the students said and you chuckled

” Is it real?” Another student asked.

”Yep it's a true story. ” A few students gasped yet Oscar just stayed Neutral.

It was weird how Atlas didn't have many lights in the classroom and instead had windows. the snow had illuminated light into the room but it wasn't THAT much light. And that annoyed you.

The bell rang.

” Alright, you all have a sparring class with me at the end of the day, I will see you then.” The students soon left the classroom but Oscar stayed, ” Hey, Y/N, can I borrow a book on the Great War.” You could barely hear it but you heard, ” Or the King Of Vale.” come from him too.

” Sure.” You nodded then looked at the bookshelf. Thank the brothers that the book wasn't at the VERY TOP. You grabbed it then walked towards Oscar.

You were about to give it to him but then stopped mid-way and he looked up in confusion then pouted as you raised the book up into the air, high enough that even If Oscar jumped he couldn’t grab it.

At least you were taller than someone.

” Hey!” He pouted and kept jumping, trying to grab the book but he couldn't jump high enough. ” Y/N!” He whined and you giggled. You brought the book down but didn't give it to him, he tried to reach for it but then you shot the book back and he pouted again. 

” I'm assuming you just want to read more about Oz’s past lives?” You asked.

”...Yeah.” He admitted and you handed him the book, ” Thank you!” He chirped up and a bliss full of happiness had washed over him. He soon ran out of the room.

You walked back to your desk and remembered that you had to put the book back.

You grabbed the book and started climbing the bookshelf but It was hard because you could only use one hand to climb it as the book was in your other hand.

You heard someone open the door then close it, ” Oscar if it's you can you-AH” You yelped when you lost balance and your hand had slipped off and you started falling.

” Y/N!” You heard someone yell then the next thing you knew is that you were in someone's arms, they caught you.

Your eyes met icy blue eyes that you could get trapped into forever, ” Oh!” You made a sigh of relief to see Marrow and that he had caught you. Speaking of the Faunus, he laughed a little, ” Are you okay?” He asked and you nodded.

” Thanks for catching me.” You chuckled a bit and he did too.

You got trapped in the eyes of each other, and gods did they warm your heart.

Then you realized he was still holding you.

” OH!” You got out of his arms and you couldn't tell if he made a sigh of relief or a sigh of unhappiness.

He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly, ” Clover wanted to see if we could do a Grimm clearing.” He said. It was lunch right now, 12:30 to be exact and sparring classes were at 2:30. ” Yep.” You informed and he nodded, ” Let's go, Transport is waiting.”

” Let me guess, when it was reported there was no name for the Grimm?” You asked and Marrow shook his head, ” Let's just hope this isn't some sort of wild goose chase.” He said and you gave a chuckle.

For some reason that reminded you of Qrow and you pulled out your scroll.

* * *

_ Mary Poppins: @Birb man so you know how you said Nickels would be an offensive nickname for Penny? _

_ Birb man: Yes..? _

_ Mary Poppins: Did you know that Penny was uhm, ripped into 5 pieces? _

_ Crater Face: Oh my goodness. Uncle Qrow. Change. Her. Name. _

_ Mary Poppins: Dimes is still a perfect nickname for her because it's 10 cents. _

_ Birb man: OH SHIT _

_ ( Birb man changed Penny Polendina’s name to Dimes) _

* * *

It was an old mine in the Tundra. It was said in the report that this was where the Grimm were spotted.

” Now or Never.” Marrow said as you both got out of the Transport and walked into the mine.

You yawned and stretched your arms out, ” I'm so tired.” You said during your yawn. It was weird though, you were fine before.

” When we clear these Grimm out you can use me as a body pillow on the way back.” He said and you chuckled but then you both realized what he said and red covered both of your cheeks and the tip of your ears.

Even though what he said was stuck in your head, you still knew something was wrong.

You stopped mid-track when you felt something, you couldn't entirely tell what it was but it was familiar.

” Stop.” You told Marrow and he soon stopped, ” If this is about what I said-” You put a hand up to shush him and he did.

It was like Aura...no, it was your Aura, getting drained.

Marrow took out his scroll and noticed how both of your aura levels were getting low, ” What..?” He breathed out, ” We aren't even hurt so how-” He stopped talking then yawned.

” Be quiet for a bit.” You demanded and he stood in place, and slowed his breathing.

You closed your eyes.

_ ” If you ever feel like there's something wrong, close your eyes then Manifest and Focus, and you should feel an Aura, or well, anything.”  _ Fox had always said.

You felt something, it was like an Aura, well at least you think it is, but it felt...different.

You opened them again and your eyes met icy blue ones, he looked confused, ” Uhm, what did you do?” He asked.

” I can feel Auras or Grimm.” You said and he made an ’Oh’ sound.

” Did you feel anything?” He asked and you nodded, ” I did feel something but it felt...different...it was like a mixture between Aura and Grimm. But it's so familiar.”

” That doesn't-” He stopped when you both heard a shriek but it wasn't a shriek from a person, ” That must be where the Grimm are!” Marrow started running but you knew something was wrong.

And then it came to you.

The shriek. The weird feeling. Now you knew why it was all familiar. 

Another shriek came and Marrow slowed down and then he was on one knee ” What..” He breathed out.

The Apathy.

You ran towards Marrow, even though you were so tired and it was as if your feet were screaming at you to stop, you both had to get out of here. Alive.

You kneeled down by Marrow, ” Marrow we have to go!” You shook him to get up, ” No..no the Grimm!” He yelled but you shook your head, ” We can't fight them!” 

He looked at you confused, ” What do you-” Another shriek came and you were both laying down on the cold mine ground. You noticed something black moving in the corner of your eye. They were here.

_ Get up.  _

” Wha…” You couldn't even say full words but you heard someone’s voice in your head.

It was a familiar voice.

_ You need to get up, Y/N. _

” Ozpin..?” You breathed out, how was he-

_ Think about the people who love you, your friends, everyone in the White Fang. Life is beautiful, and it must be protected. _

Suddenly it was like your Aura had regenerated both of your Auras and it was also like air had entered both of your lungs.

” Marrow!” You yelled and climbed to him and you both helped each other get up.

You had no idea how Oz did it, you weren't even sure if it was Oz completely, but you weren't tired anymore.

You saw the Apathy, coming towards you both. ” Run. RUN!” You yelled and you both ran towards the exit of the cave then to the transport, ” WAIT!” You yelled and he stopped in his tracks.

You threw a few dust bullets at him, ” Shoot the mine down.” You said then pointed to the rocks at the top of the exit- or entrance- of the cave which had dust in them.

He nodded then put the dust bullets into Fetch and put it into its Gun version then shot at the rocks.

You both continued to run towards the transports as the dust started exploding, bringing the entire abandoned line down. Hopefully James wouldn't need that mine for the Amity project…

” DRIVE!” You yelled to the Atlesian Knight who was driving the truck then the truck screeched and moved. 

You laid on your back in the back of the truck and breathed heavily. Your chest rising and falling slowly.

You felt pricks of hot tears. You were so scared, the fact Ruby wasn't there...you both could have died if it weren't for Ozpin- or even if it was him in your head!

Tears streamed down your cheeks. BrotherI it was...horrifying. You both could have died.

” Remember how you said I could use you as a body pillow?” You asked.

Marrow immediately understood and he put his arms around you and raised you by the underarm. You laid your head, cheek to be exact, on his chest, with one hand on it too, and listened to his heartbeat, it calmed you.

” How did you know we couldn't fight them?” He asked. You closed your eyes and decided to retell the story.

” On our way to Argus, we got into a train crash and then found an abandoned house.” You said and he already looked as if he felt bad. ” When we got there, we found...bodies, every bed, every home.” You heard him give a surprise gasp and his heart beat a little faster.

He grabbed your hand then put both of his around it, ” You're freezing.” He whispered and started moving his hands up and down to try and warm your hands.

Yeah, you didn't have your gloves with you. But, you should have got them before you went on this Grimm clearing mission since you know, IT’S THE DAMN TUNDRA!

You decided to continue, ignoring the fact you were freezing. ” I felt something, like what I felt back in the cave, but I couldn't tell exactly what. We were all tired for some reason and then...Ruby dropped the lamp down a well and then Team RWBY jumped down to get it. And that's when I realized.”

” Realized that it was the Apathy?” He asked and you nodded against his chest. 

” Me and Maria jumped into the well, we tried to save Team RWBY but we couldn't...they drained our will to move forward. We all could have died that day if it weren't for Ruby and Maria.” Yep, now he had a look of sympathy in his eyes. ” I felt so ashamed of myself that day, if I just focused enough then I could have-”

” Stop.” You immediately stopped. He looked you into the eyes, ” it's like you said, The Apathy drained your will to move forward, and they drained your Aura too. You couldn't do it because of the Apathy, so don't blame it on yourself. Your an amazing person Y/N.”

You groaned, ” I hate people using my own words against me.” He laughed a little and pulled you in closer. Your back was laid on his chest now and he had his arms around you like he was hugging you.” Your gonna have to get used to it.” He said and you both laughed a little. You snuggled into the crook of his neck.

You missed this.

” Thank you, though.” You whispered, ” No problemo.” He responded.

” Though it was super cheesy.”

” Oh shut up!”

* * *

You watched as 2 second years were sparring.

There was a student training room and there was also a Sparring teaching training room. With seats at the side so the students could watch and a big enough space in the middle for 2 people to duel.

Both of the dueler's Auras were low.

You stood up, ” Thats enough!” You yelled and the students who were sparring had stopped.

They both soon shook hands then went to sit down, and you went to the middle of the room. ” You both did good. But a reminder for ALL of you.” You put your hands behind your back.

” When fighting someone, make sure to always go for their Aura, you can't always rely on your Semblance to help you in a fight. I can't promise that once you all graduate, you won't end up fighting those who became Huntsman for the wrong reason. You deplete their Aura, you drain the use of their Semblance.” You told everyone and some people nodded. 

The Bell Rang.

” Class dismissed.”

  
You flopped onto the living room couch in the penthouse.

” Brothers, teaching is so exhausting! Professor Goodwitch how do you do it?” You asked and the blonde-haired woman had chuckled a bit and looked up from the book she was reading across from you, ” You don't have to call me Professor anymore, Y/N.” She said.

” Okay Pro-Glynda.” She smiled

The elevator beeped but you laid on your stomach and your face was in the pillow so you couldn't see, ” Who just came in?” You asked.

” Winter.” Both of the Huntresses said, ” Hey Winter!” You brought your hand away from the ground then waved and put it back down.

” Hey! Also, Oscar went missing.” You groaned, ” Again?” You yelled then started to get up but then she put a hand on your back then pushed you back down into the couch, ” Don't worry, Qrow went to find him. He should still be in the Academy since he can't leave without a guardian.” She said and you nodded.

Well, if Qrow went to go find Oscar, then maybe they can rebuild their bond? 

” What do you mean by again?” Marrow asked from a sofa chair. You laid on your side so you could look at everyone, and so your voice wouldn't be muffled.

” He's disappeared like 5 times.” You said, ” We usually thought he ran away but we were just stupid and either wasn't looking or he went to go find a damn new coat.” Glynda chuckled, ” Sounds like Oz. He always disappeared to go find a new coat.” She said.

” I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Ruby and Weiss flew a Nevermore again.” Marrow and Winter looked at you wide-eyed but Glynda kept reading her book and rolled her eyes at how the 2 girls were foolish during their Beacon days.

” They did  _ what?” _

” My sister did  _ what?” _

You laughed a little, ” Yeppp, during Initiation Ruby and Weiss flew in on a Nevermore then uh, fell off. Nora rode in on an Ursa.” 

” You didn't do anything stupid during your initiation..right?” Clover soon came, actually everyone except Qrow was in the living room now.

” I didn't-”

” When she was launched off the cliff, she landed on top of a Nevermore and rode it but then she fell off and then she rode the dark version of a King Taijitu to the temple.” Glynda said as she STILL read her book and everyone looked at you wide-eyed.

” Okay then..” Clover nodded and you all laughed a little.

” Do you think Qrow found Oscar?” Vine asked and you shrugged.

” He couldn't have gone far.” Elm said.

” Best guess is that he's in the Garden.” You laid on your back now and looked up to the ceiling.

Holy shit your birthday was tomorrow.

* * *

Qrow had checked every inch of the Academy yet no sign of Oscar, the last place he had to check was the Garden that Clover showed him after their mission.

He walked in and took in the sight of the gigantic indoor garden and the colour of the flowers. He looked around then made a sigh of relief to see Oscar sleeping on a bench with a book titled ’ The Great War’ in his hands.

He was as small as the bench so his whole body was able to fit onto a bench.

Qrow walked up to him then kneeled so he was face to face with Oscar but the Book was covering his face.

” Oscarrr” Qrow whispered softly, ” Oscar wake up.”

Oscar kept snoring and Qrow breathed out a laugh, what in the world of Remnant was he going to do?

” Oscar.” He whispered again then got a little closer and lightly shook the sleeping boy, ” Oscar!” no response.

” 10 more minutes Auntie..” That was all that Oscar had murmured and Qrow bit his lip to hold back a laugh. Oscar brought the book closer to his chest as if it were a pillow.

” Oscarrr” He kept shaking him but Oscar whined in response and Qrow couldn't help but snort.

He knew the young boy was just tired but it worried him when he noticed the bags under his eyes, how much sleep did he get?

He pulled out his scroll and private messaged you.

* * *

_ Qrow: Has Oscar gotten much sleep? _

_ Y/N: No, I think the only time he was able to sleep was in my room. _

_ Y/N: He's been having nightmares since Oz left, he can't sleep unless someone is there. _

* * *

Qrow looked up from his scroll and frowned. Nightmares? How come Oscar had never told him? He cared for this kid as much as he did for his nieces and everyone else. 

_ He Probably didn't tell you since you punched him into a tree. _

Qrow winced at the thought, did he even apologize to Oscar about that? 

” Why didn't you tell me Oscar?” He whispered and Oscar whimpered and his face had scrunched up in discomfort. Was he having a nightmare right now? Qrow brushed the bangs out of Oscar’s face and Oscar made a sound of comfort and it warmed Qrow’s heart.

Oscar still wouldn't get up.

” Fine you big baby! You win.” Qrow said a little louder than a whisper but was careful not to say it too loud.

Well Qrow couldn't just leave him here!

Qrow picked him up and Oscar had snuggled Into his arms, STILL holding the book, but the sight just warmed Qrow’s heart and Qrow couldn't help but smile. ” Well if you can't sleep without anyone there then I might as well take you up to the Penthouse.” JNR’s mission was going to be a long one.

Qrow brought the young boy up to the penthouse and decided to let him sleep in his bed. He didn't scrunch his face in discomfort and he wasn't twisting or turning so hopefully it meant no nightmares.

Qrow sat down on the bed beside Oscar and brushed the bangs out of the sleeping boy’s face, it seemed to soothe him and Qrow couldn't help but chuckle. 

He looked out the window which was by the bed then looked at the stars then Oscar. It was maybe 10pm.

JNR had come back from their mission a few hours ago but Qrow didn't want to wake Oscar up if this was the one chance he could get a lot of sleep. 

” Goodnight Oscar.” Qrow whispered and put a blanket over Oscar’s shivering body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oscar is so adorable I stg.


	35. A little tickle fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QROW X CLOVER WOOO

” Oscar’s asleep so try not to be too loud.” Qrow said as he walked out of his room and you were all sitting in the living room.

You looked over at Harriet who hasn't stopped looking at her laptop for like 7 hours, ” Are you still trying to find that woman from the ball?” Clover asked and she nodded.

” I found her.” Harriet said.

When you and Harriet were leaving the ball, she swore she saw her mother.

” She has 2 kids and a husband, her name is Lola Bree.” Harriet said and showed you all a profile page.

” So now what are you gonna do?” Elm asked, ” Make a fake account and find out some stuff about her...then maybe talk to her.” Harriet answered.

” Cloves, do you ever stop working?” Qrow asked.

Clover was sitting at a table and reading some reports, ” It's my job~.” He sang.

” I'm almost done, I'm just reading Cordovin’s report.” He said.

You and Qrow looked at each other wide eyed.

Ah shit.

Clover looked up from the report he was reading, ” So how did you guys get up to Atlas?” Clover asked even though he already knew how.

You and Qrow tried to hold back a laugh, ” We stole an Atlas Airship.” Qrow answered.

” Mhm, and that was in Argus, right?” He asked and you nodded.

” So what's this about a few Neerdowells? He asked and you and Qrow burst out in laughter.

” You know what, it's late so I am gonna go sleep!” You ran to your room but before you could shut the door, Qrow came in.

” I need your help!” He said, ” What is it?” You asked.

” I think Clover is flirting with me!” There was a heartbeat of silence until you started laughing.

” I'm being serious!” He pouted.

” It's just that-” You paused to laugh even more ”I've been waiting for you to figure it out!” You said through laughs and Qrow looked as if he were betrayed, ” You knew?!” He yelled and you nodded your head.

” What do I do?!” He asked.

” Do you want him to continue flirting?” You smirked as Qrow’s cheeks turned pink and he rubbed the back of his neck.

” Yes-No-I mean-” He sighed, ” I don't know.” He admitted and your smirk grew.

You opened the door to your room just a little to peak out. No Clover. You opened it more, ” Where’s Clover?” You asked but quietly so Qrow didn't hear, ” Garden.” Everyone responded. You closed your door.

” Go to the garden.” You told Qrow, ” Why?” He asked.

You elbowed him, ” Just go! Trust me.” He nodded and went for the door, ” Oh when you get there, transform into your bird form!” He looked at you confused but shrugged and left the room.

You waited to hear the elevator beep.

It beeped which meant Qrow left.

You walked out, ” Winter, I need access to the Garden cameras.” 

” Why?” She asked. ” I need to see something.” You responded

She looked as if she was going to question it again but you used your puppy dog eyes. ” Pleaseeeeeee.” You begged and she gave up, pulled out her scroll then yours beeped.

You took it out and saw that you were given access to cameras, ” Thank you!” You yelled in glee but then Glynda shushed you and then you remembered that Oscar was still sleeping.

You decided to go into Qrow’s room to watch the interaction between Clover and Qrow’s corvid form. 

You laid down beside Oscar on the bed where he was half awake. ”Hi” He said in a sleepy voice. ” Wanna watch Clover have a talk with Qrow in his bird form?” Oscar immediately shot up and scooted closer to you to watch their interaction.

He was still tired so he rested his head on your shoulder and you rested your head on his.

” Clover’s been flirting with him for weeks. Has Qrow found out yet?” He asked, ” Yep, he found out earlier.”

” Finally!” He threw his hand up, ” took him long enough!” 

You chuckled, ” Yep, but he's old so give him a break.” 

You watched as the crow flew onto Clover’s shoulder.

* * *

Clover loved to go to the Garden after missions, it reminded him of his home in Argus. And plus, he loved the smell of the flowers and the colours too. It brought warmth to one of the most coldest kingdoms.

But perhaps that warmth was something else. He knew he felt different when he first laid eyes on a certain Huntsman with crimson eyes. 

” I never knew birds were in here.” He murmured as he saw a crow on a tree branch in the garden. It cawed and Clover chuckled a bit.

He walked to the crow slowly, he didn't want to scare it away.

He got to the crow and it didn't move or flinch when Clover moved his finger down to give the crow some scratches and the crow made a caw of comfort.

Clover was startled to hear the indoor garden door open, ” Oh Miss Rose!” He turned to her and the crow cawed then flew towards Ruby and landed on her shoulder.

She giggled as the crow pecked her on the cheek, ” Hey Clover! And you can call me Ruby.”

Clover nodded and walked towards her, he loved to see how comfortable she was with the bird, ” You seem very comfortable with it.” He said.

” Yeah well, I've known this bird since I hit him on the day of initiation!” She said in glee and Clover widened his eyes mildly, ” The Crow has been following you for that long?” He asked and Ruby nodded her head, ” I think it's a little bit overprotective.”

She giggled when the Crow bit her but lightly enough so it wouldn't hurt.

Clover gave the crow some scritches again and Ruby smirked.

” Well I'll leave you both to it!” She said as she scooped the crow into her hands and gave it to Clover.

Clover was worried he would accidentally hurt the bird in any way but Ruby had assured it would be fine and he scooped the bird into his hands then Ruby left.

” Bye Clover!” She yelled then left the garden and the Crow flew up onto his shoulder. He noticed how the crow had eyes just like his Qrow.

” You remind me of my friend Qrow, spelled with a Q not a C.” He chuckled when the Crow froze in place. Clover walked around the garden and looked at the flowers while he talked to the Crow about his Qrow.

” He's just this rude and cold person on the outside but he has a heart of the gold on the inside and he's just a sweet, lovely, nice, gracious, beautiful-” He stopped when the crow gave a squawk.

Clover chuckled, ” Sorry little fella, I guess I accidentally got caught off. He's just really wonderful, but I think you already know that.” He looked at the crow and started laughing when it's beak was hanging right open and it's eyes were wide.

The crow moved a little and gave Clover a little peck on the cheek, ” Aw thanks birdie.” He gave the corvid a few scratches on the head and he loved it.

He was startled to hear his scroll beep and the crow gave a surprised squawk.

A message from James ironwood.

” And another Gala.” Clover rolled his eyes and it almost looked like the Crow did too but he couldn't tell.

” Well Mr. Crow, I have to go because tomorrow is someone's birthday.” Clover said and the crow had flown back to the branch on the tree as Clover walked towards the door. He waved goodbye to the crow and the crow did the same with its wing.

” Well that's not something you see everyday.” Clover mumbled as he left the garden.

Qrow waited a few minutes then transformed back and he walked out of the garden, with pink blush spread across his cheeks and he ignored the smirk that Nora threw his way when he passed her.

He felt his heart beating faster than usual.

* * *

You and Oscar watched the whole thing in shock, but good shock. Qrow liked Clover..and by the looks of it, Clover liked him too.

You and Oscar leaned against the door in the inside of Qrow’s room to hear the conversation when Qrow and Clover came back.

The elevator beeped and you assumed it was Qrow because Clover came back a few minutes ago.

” What's that?” You heard Qrow ask. 

” A feather. it's beautiful isn't it?” Clover responded. You couldn't see what was happening on the other side of the door but you knew that Qrow was probably blushing red all over and screaming inside.

You heard someone-Probably Qrow- coming towards the room door.

You and Oscar ran back towards the bed and flopped onto it. Qrow came into the room and ignored the fact that you were both in there and that Oscar was awake.

He flopped onto the bed beside you and Oscar and he screamed into the pillow in happiness. And you and Oscar just laid there and listened to his happy scream.

After 5 minutes of his happy scream, he finally removed his face from the pillow.

” Welcome back.” You and Oscar said in unison.

” He said my feather was beautiful!” He yelled but quiet enough so Clover wouldn't hear from the next room, even though he was screaming in a pillow for 5 minutes.

That's what he was so happy about? His feather?

” AND HE CALLED ME BEAUTIFUL!” Qrow yelled

” Yea we saw the whole thing in the garden.” Oscar said and Qrow looked at you both confused but then saw your scroll and then realized you were looking at the cameras.

But he didn't care, he was too focused on what everything Clover said.

” Soooo what are you gonna do?” You asked, ” Why not ask him on a date?” Oscar suggested and Qrow immediately shot up from the bed.

” Oscar that is brilliant! How should I ask him- I mean what day- would he even accept?!” Wow, Qrow was crushing like how a schoolgirl would crush on a boy.

Or schoolboy on a boy in this case.

” Qrow, calm down.” You tried to calm him down but he was PACING, ” ASK HIM!!” You really wanted to say it calmly but you HAD to make him do it.

” I-”

” Qrow.”

” Okay okay okay. I'll ask him out.” He pulled out this scroll and you and Oscar looked at each other with no words. Was he actually fucking texting Clover?

” Qrow you f- ” You stopped when you noticed Oscar was in the room, you tried not to swear when you were in front of Oscar and Ruby. But you would still say ’fuck’ when texting.

” Qrow you live with him.” You said then pointed to the damn wall where Clover’s room was beside Qrow’s room.

” Yeaaa but it's gonna be embarrassing if he declines in front of me.” You and Oscar facepalmed.

” Okay-Okay do I hit send?” Qrow was panicking but Oscar took Qrow’s scroll and sent it, he gave it back to Qrow and he screamed when he saw that it was sent.

” AAH” He threw his scroll across the room and you both facepalmed again.

A few moments passed and no response. Qrow got up to grab his scroll but his face fell as he looked at it.

” What is it?” You asked, ” He left me on read.” Qrow responded and you and Oscar winced.

He laid down on the bed and screamed into the pillow, it wasn't a happy scream though.

Suddenly someone knocked at the room door and Qrow got up and walked towards it.

He opened it and made a surprise gasp.

” I'd love to.” you heard a familiar voice say and you and Oscar shifted on the bed to look at who was the door and- Oh.

It was Clover.

” I- Uhm-”

” Saturday? 6? Clover asked and Qrow nodded and Clover gave a mock salute then closed the door.

You all squealed, ” WOO!” Oscar cheered.

” Wait- Saturday is in 2 days! I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING PLANNED!” Qrow started panicking again and you smirked, ” Leave it to me.” You said then stood up and grabbed your scroll.

” Being the White Fang leader has some perks.” Oscar widened his eyes then looked at Qrow, ” I- She doesn't mean Leader- Or- What- I mean-”

You laughed at Oscar’s stutters, ” Don't worry I told him.” Oscar's face softened and he made a sigh of relief, ” I can't believe she told you before me.” Qrow said and Oscar stuck his tongue out at him, ” I'm just a better friend.” Oscar said and Qrow ruffled his hair.

You started dialling a number on your scroll, ” Qrow, he's ticklish.” Oscar widened his eyes in betrayal, ” Y/N!” He whined and Qrow had a smirk on his face and Oscar recognized that look.

” Qrow..QrOW” He squeaked as Qrow poked the side of his stomach then started giggling when he started tickling him, ” QROHOH- STOHOP! CUT IT OHOUT HAHA!” The young boy howled and Qrow kept going.

” HAHA DON’T HAHA STAHAHAP PLEASE” Oscar giggled and laughed and he kept kicking his legs, trying to hit Qrow.

” Don't stop? Okay.” Qrow started tickling faster and Oscar laughed even louder.

” OKAY OKAY THAT’S ENOUGH!” You yelled and laughed. Qrow removed his hands from Oscar’s stomach and Oscar was trying to regain his breath. ” I'm gonna get you back for that!” Oscar panted and Qrow scoffed, ” I'd like to see you try!” That sounded like a challenge.

Okay Oscar may have been 15 but he still seemed like a little 10-year-old boy to you and Qrow. And maybe Nora and Jaune. Plus, you all knew he loved to be tickled

You pressed the call button when Oscar had stopped giggling and panting and the person you called had answered.

_” Y/N it's 11:08PM!”_ You flinched as they yelled.

” Aw I missed you too Seven.” 

_” We literally talked to each other 6 days ago when you bought the diner so we could stay in business”_ Okay just hear this out: When you used to go to Mantle with Xanthe or Samantha, there was this one diner you guys always went to and when you found out they were out of money and couldn't pay for the Diner anymore, you didn't take it well. So you may have bought it so the Diner could keep going. And Seven, who you've known for many years, was actually really happy that he could keep the Diner up and running.

” By any chance, can I use the Diner after hours?”

_” Y/N, you own the damn thing. You don't have to ask, just make sure to lock it up.” Seven said and you squealed in delight._

” Thank you!” You said and you heard him give a small chuckle, ” No problem.” He said then hung up without even saying goodbye. 

” You own a diner?” Qrow asked in disbelief, ” Welcome to Y/N L/N’s life where she is saving the world from an immortal witch yet also runs a dangerous organization and owns a Diner.” Oscar joked and you both stuck your tongues out.

” Oscar, it’s late, you should go sleep.” Qrow said and Oscar groaned Into a pillow, ” Okay, _DAd.”_ Qrow pushed him a little and Oscar snickered. ”..but can I stay here?” He asked and Qrow nodded then laid down beside Oscar on his back.

” I hope you don't snore.” Oscar said and Qrow poked the side of his stomach and Oscar giggled, ” I can assure you I do NOT snore.” that was obviously a lie, it was Qrow, of course he snores.

Oscar took his face out of the pillow and were face to face yet it reminded him of the day he punched the young boy into a tree, ” Oscar, I just wanna say I'm sorry for punching you into a tree-”

” Qrow you've apologized at least 8 times.” 

” Wait really?” 

You and Oscar both said, ” Yep.” In unison and you both popped the ’P’

” But for the 9TH TIME NOW! I accept your apology.” Oscar said and Qrow ruffled his hair, ” And for the 9th time, I will say, thank you.”

Oscar smiled, ” You're sleeping on my couch.” Qrow said and the smile soon turned into a frown as he pouted. You just realized you were sitting on the couch in his room. You stood up, ” Well I am going to go sleep. For real this time. Oscar I'm assuming you want hot chocolate?” Oscar nodded his head.

He loved hot chocolate, it was something him and Oz had in common. A lot of the students at Beacon had thought that Professor Ozpin drank coffee but it was actually Hot chocolate.

You got Oscar his hot chocolate and wished the 2 of them goodnight before you went to your room. You flopped onto the bed. 

Just 1 more hour till your birthday.


	36. A dog?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I NEEDED AN EXCUSE TO BRING A SAMOYED INTO THE STORY AND OZ BACK SO UH 
> 
> also Warning: Slut shaming.

  
  


Great. Another. Weird. Fucking. Dream.

You were standing in a familiar-looking white expanse. You had control over your body so maybe it wasn't a dream? but everything around you was just WHITE, exactly from Jinn’s vision.

” Am I dead?” You asked out loud, as if you were waiting for the Gods to come out of nowhere and say if you were going to hell or heaven.

Probably Hell.

_” I can assure you, that you are not dead.”_ Oz’s voice has echoed in the expanse.

” Oz?” You called and kept turning around but there was no one standing or sitting.

_” Look down.”_ This time his voice was in your head. You looked down and- Oh.

A dog.

A fucking dog.

It was a Samoyed to be exact, it's fur was as white as snow. It had Hazel eyes, similar to Oscar. And it had an...Aura?

_” You may find this a little weird.”_

” Oz, why is there a dog?” You really wanted to kind of yell at Oz right now, but this was some weird shit. Oz gave no response 

You shrugged then kneeled down by the dog. It was so cute! There was a sudden urge to just put your hand out and you did, the dog raised its paw and put it on your hand and you shook it.

IT WAS FUCKING ADORABLE.

But it was still weird, why did this dog have an Aura? That wasn't normal for animals.

_” When the God Of Light had given me the curse, he told me that some part of it may be broken at times. Meaning I can separate myself from my new host, but I'd still stay in their mind until I fully take over.”_ His voice echoed in your head.

Part of the curse broken? Separating himself from his new host? What?

” That doesn't make sense...sort of.”

_He chuckled, ” I'm sure once you wake up, you'll understand. And I'm sure Qrow could explain to you too.”_

” Why...why did you come to me?” You asked, ” Why are people coming to me in my dreams?”

_” Well when I heard that Salem had come to you, I thought I might do so too.”_

” You know about that?!” You asked. You wanted to be mad but the dog was just so cute and its fluffiness was distracting you.

_” I've been watching you all from the back of Oscar’s mind.”_

” Kinda creepy.”

He chuckled, _” To you, maybe. To me, No.”_

” Are..are you coming back?” You were a little mad at Ozpin for lying to you all. He betrayed your trust! But...He's lived thousands of years and has probably been betrayed more times than well, anyone! He had to relive through his Trauma. He was crying on the ground yet you all still yelled at him.

He was only trying to protect you all. Even if it meant hiding the truth.

_” You need to wake up.”_

” Answer the question! Oz we need you!” You yelled desperately.

_” Wake up.”_ Was the last you heard when your face was in the pillow, ” Damnit!” You hissed. Suddenly there was something fluffy ticking the side of your face, you giggled and brought your face away from the pillow them looked up and- What the fuck.

The tail of the samoyed was ticking your face, more importantly, the Samoyed WAS ON YOUR FUCKING BED.

It turned around and looked you into the eyes. Hazel was the colour. How the hell did it get here? Where the hell did it come from? 

“ Holy-”

“ Crap.” You looked over to your room door and Oscar was standing there. Did everyone know the password to open your damn door?!

“ Did you have the same dream?” Oscar asked. Even though he didn't say what dream, you still knew so you nodded your head.

“ I woke up from it and Oz was back in my head, he told me to try using magic so then I did and then there was a dog…” Oscar smiled sheepishly and you facepalmed.

The dog raised its paw and did a little wave, _“ Like I said, I can separate myself from my new host and instead go into an animal form. I'll still stay in Oscar's mind but this also means I can talk to you all telepathically instead of Oscar having to repeat what I'm saying.”_ Oz said.

_“ Though...I wish to not face everyone yet.”_ You heard the nervousness in his voice.

“ That's gonna be kind of hard with a gigantic dog following us around.” Oscar was right, his dog form was literally half the size of your bed, and this was a damn king-sized bed.

The sun was almost up, you reached for your scroll on the night table and turned it on. It was almost 6am.

“ Plus the school does not allow pets inside.” Oscar added and he had 2 fingers up. Counting the points he makes.

“ Okay it's 6am so Vine, Clover, Marrow and Winter are probably up.” You said and Oscar nodded, “ I saw them in the kitchen when I walked to your room.” He said and pointed towards the door.

“ We need to get Oz out of here. If you leave the Academy can you still talk to us?” You asked and started scratching behind his ears.

_“ DON’T TREAT ME LIKE A DOG!”_ Yea you were gonna get a headache from the yelling in your head.

You flinched and brought your hand away from his ear, _“ Thank you. And yes, I'll still be able to talk to you both.”_ Okay, time for the plan on getting Oz out of the Academy without anyone knowing. Step 1- make a damn plan.

“ Okay, I'm gonna go get coffee, and I'm assuming you'll want hot chocolate Oscar.” The young boy nodded his head, “ Then we will try and get Oz, well, wherever we can put him.” You got out of the bed but then stumbled and remembered your legs were asleep.

_“ OOH! Can you get me hot chocolate?”_

“ Oz you're a dog! You can't have it!” You hissed and the dog whined.

You opened your door but you made sure not to open it to much or else anyone who was looking would see the dog-or Oz.

To your surprise, Qrow was awake. Qrow was NOT a morning person, maybe he woke up early to talk to a certain someone..

“ Hey Y/N!” Winter greeted and you gave a small wave then yawned and stretched your arms out. You leaned over the kitchen counter and Clover slid a coffee mug down with a note attached to it. “ Aw you already made me coffee?” You asked and smiled at him.

He chuckled, “ Read the note.” You read the note attached to the mug.

_Don't worry, I added blasphemous amounts of cream and sugar just for you._

_I know how tired you are in the morning and you can't even function properly, so I made you some coffee :) i'll be back later, see you at the briefing._

  * _Marrow._



You read the note out loud and in your head too. Blush spread across your cheeks as you read each word and your heart did a backflip. everyone in the room smirked.

And Elm noticed the blush.

_“ Ooooooo”_ Ozpin teased.

_“ shut up!”_

It was so weird talking to someone telepathically again, you were so used to only hearing Fox’s voice in your head, but he's gone, in Vacuo. And you haven't talked to Miko in years until you came back to the White Fang, but he barely used his semblance.

“ _Somebody’s in looove.”_

_“ OH SHUT UP!”_

You walked back into your room with your coffee in one hand and the hot chocolate the other, Oscar had to open the door for you.

You handed the hot chocolate to him and he smiled but the dog had just whined and you stuck your tongue out at him.

“ Okay. The Ace-ops are all about to go somewhere so we can sneak Oz out of the Penthouse, but then we have to get him through the whole damn academy.” Yea, time to try getting a giant dog through the Academy.

“ Where are we even gonna put him?” Oscar asked.

“ Mantle?” You suggested and Oz barked and you both shushed him.

_“ Let me guess, you're gonna take me down to the base?”_ Wow that was a wild guess which he somehow got right.

You nodded your head and Oz groaned, “ Oh shush, their nice people!” 

Well since Oz has been watching you all from the back of Oscar’s mind, that answers the question on how he knows you're the leader.

_” I still can't believe you're the leader._.” Oz said, sounding annoyed and mad.

He had every right to be annoyed and mad, the White Fang destroyed his school.

“ Deal with it.” You hissed. If he was gonna be mad about the Fang, then you had every right to be mad at him for lying.

Oz- the dog whimpered and you rolled your eyes. But you couldn't stay mad at him, his dog form was so cute!

Someone knocked at your door, “ Y/N, me and the others are going now. We’ll be back later for the briefing!” Vine yelled, “ Okay!” you yelled back. You looked at Oscar who was grinning, step 1- or 2- of the plan was already In phase.

You both waited for the elevator to give a beep, which it did. It was go time.

You all headed towards the elevator, trying to walk fast so Harriet wouldn't wake up right when you were leaving.

It was an...awkward, and quiet elevator ride down to the first floor of the Academy.

Why the fuck was the elevator so far from the front of the school.

You all walked really fast- other than Oz who was on all fours and running. Yet Oz kept trying to stand on his 2 back feet and walk at the same time yet failed.

“ Oz can you try and act like a normal dog?” You asked and he scoffed in response but decided to continue walking on all fours.

“ Salutations Oscar and Y/N!l

“ AAH” You and Oscar both screamed and turned around to find Penny standing there with her hands behind her back and looking joyful as ever. “ Good Morning Penny.” You and Oscar both said in unison then blinked at each other, surprised at how many times you both said words in unison.

For someone who was built with metal, she was surprisingly good at keeping quiet when walking.

“ Good morning to you too! And..” She tilted a little then looked at Oz.

“ Good morning to your fluffy companion!” She said, joyful as ever. “ Though I do not think General Ironwood will allow your fluffy companion in the Academy.” She kneeled a little and started giving him scratches behind his ear.

You tried your best not to laugh when Oz started wagging his tail furiously.

She then stood up and straightened her posture, “ Why is your fluffy companion here?” She asked and you were about to answer until someone else spoke, “ Yes why is it here?” James asked and you could FEEL Oz tense up yet you weren't even touching him. The Ace-ops were then standing by James and then you tensed up.

“ Wandered off.”

“ Emotional support dog.” 

You and Oscar widened your eyes at the 2 different answers and the Ace-ops faces grew even more confused. Qrow just wanted to see how you would both play this out and Winter and James just kept their face neutral but there was a hint of confusion.

Though Marrow wasn't with them. He loves dogs.

You decided to go with what Oscar said. “ Yep! It's Oscar’s emotional support dog.” You said and put an arm around his shoulder. “ Why did we never see the dog before?” Winter asked.

You've never seen this from Winter, only from Weiss, but she cooed the dog and gave it some scratches, _“ Act like a dog.” Y_ ou sent and Oz groaned then rolled onto his back then Winter gave him belly rubs and you tried your best not to laugh.

“ Uhm...my aunt sent him...in the mail.” You and Oz looked at Oscar in disbelief, you could literally see the disbelief all over the dogs face and the Ace-ops too.

“ She sent a dog?” Elm asked.

“ IN THE MAIL?” Vine usually had a neutral face, but you could literally see the disbelief all over his face. He almost looked hurt by the fact the dog was ‘sent in the mail’

Oscar nodded his head, “ Yea?” He really tried not to make it sound like a question, but it came out as a question.

“ We were just bringing him down to Mantle.” You said and James shook his head, “ if it's Oscar’s support dog then he can stay.” You smiled wide yet it was NOT a happy smile, “ That's so nice of you James!” You said through gritted teeth.

“ But Oscar doesn't need him anymore so we're gonna bring him down to Mantle to my Er...Uncle!” Yeah Qrow knew that was an obvious lie when he knew you had no family.

“ But-”

Before James could even say what he wanted to say, you and Oscar turned away and started speed walking and Oz ran.

“ Well that was a close one.” Oscar mumbled when you all finally got to the landing area outside the Academy.

“ Mantle.” You told the pilot and the Manta soon flew up then headed down to Mantle.

It was 7 am when you all got down to Mantle.

You all walked through the streets of Mantle, ignoring any weird looks on why the dog was wearing a green scarf.

“ Oz where did you even get the green scarf from? And who put it on you?” You asked and looked at the dog in disbelief.

_“ Oscar.”_ He simply replied. You looked at Oscar who smiled sheepishly and you rolled your eyes.

You FINALLY! After a long walk from the EDGE OF MANTLE! reached the Slums.

You typed in the password then walked into the Base, same fox Faunus, bla bla blah, you know the drill.

“ Well this is unexpected.” Miko mumbled when you barged into Team XMAS’s room with an oversized dog and a farm boy.

“ AWW HE’S SO CUTE!” Xanthe yelled as she gave affection to the dog and Oz had to- sadly- roll and do tricks.

“ Why is it here?” Zedd asked as he sat on the top of the bookshelf, yea, he was afraid of dogs. “ He needs to stay here.” You said and Xanthe’s eyes lit up. “Yes!” She yelled excitedly and you chuckled.

“ Please keep him away from my belongings.” The scaredy-cat- or bunny in this case- said as he curled himself into a ball.

“ Okay, as much as I would love to stay, me and Oscar have to get back up to Atlas immediately.” You both really did, the briefing was gonna start soon. Everyone nodded their heads in understanding, “ Bye Oz!~” You sang before you closed the room door and you and Oscar headed for the door of the base.

Yeah, Oz was not gonna survive without being given affection.

You both ran as fast as you could towards a civilian transport and thankfully got to the Academy 5 minutes before the briefing. For some reason Clover asked Oscar to come.

“ Good morning everyone!” Clover said, joyfully as always when he began the briefing, “ Today's gonna be a little...different.” Different? What in the world of Remnant did he mean?

“ All of your missions have been cancelled, Atlesian knights will handle them and Y/N someone is handling teaching for you.” Was he trying to say a day off? Everyone looked at each other in confusion.

“ See, today is someone's birthday!” Clover said. You smiled, were they really doing this for your birthday?!

“ Who’s birthday is it?” You looked at Weiss and frowned. Did...did she forget today was your birthday? You remembered during your second year when you celebrated with Team RWBY, JNPR, and CFVY, even Oz had stuck around a little.

“ James’ birthday.” Clover simply responded.

Oh..

They really did all forget…

“ Marrow already went to go get decorations. Weiss, James told me how you were a fashionista, do you mind decorating?” Clover was not wrong, she really was a fashionista and speaking of the Fashionista, she nodded.

Did Marrow forget too? Someone you've known since you were just 7 years old? 

You shifted uncomfortably in your seat. You couldn't believe it, the friends you've known since your second year at Beacon forgot it was your own birthday. Your 20th birthday! You've only known the Ace-ops for a while so of course they didn't know, same with Oscar. But team RWBY, JNR, Qrow and James? They should remember.

“ Okay, we're just gonna throw James a surprise party in the common room. Weiss when Marrow gets back you and him can start decorating. Yang, Blake, Ruby, I'm leaving you to get cake and food.” Clover said and the remainder of team RWBY nodded.

Ruby was gonna go overboard with getting desserts.

“ that's it, JNR you can help with the decorations, same with you Oscar” Clover clapped and you all understood that as ‘Briefing Over’ 

When you all walked out of the room Oscar whispered something, “ Happy Birthday Y/N.” You smiled at him, “ Thanks.” You whispered back. At least one person knew it was your birthday, hopefully Marrow remembered.

Marrow came back with 2 bags full of decorations about 2 hours later, and, well, he forgot it was your birthday too.

You were sitting in the common room at a table with the Ace-ops and Qrow, Weiss was already looking through the bags of decorations.

“ Jeez Marrow that's a lot, where did you go?” Elm asked and Marrow was trying to regain his breath from running across the Academy with 2 heavy bags, “ Mantle.” He breathed out.

You noticed his tail wasn't brushed or anything, “ Did someone pull your tail?” You asked and he nodded and you all groaned. He threw his hands up, “ They don't allow Faunus in any stores in Atlas!” He yelled.

“ Atlesians.” You scoffed then remembered you were in a room with Atlesians and they all stared at you, “ I mean you guys are good Atlesians!” Weiss just rolled her eyes, “ You're not wrong though, Atlesians can be horrible.” She stated and everyone nodded their heads.

Marrow sat down with you all and you all played UNO, other than Weiss who started decorating. Oscar soon came in after to help her.

“UNO!” Clover yelled as he smacked his last card down and you all groaned, it was the 5th time he won! Weiss just chuckled at each time you all groaned. “ Clover I hate your semblance,” Elm complained and the Captain with the Clover pin just chuckled.

_“ did he win again?”_ Oz asked, _“ Yep.” You sent and he groaned._

What you really hated about the Common room, was that it had hollow walls, and it was right next to where the most annoying Atlesian soldiers were.

When you heard them laughing from next door, everyone in the room groaned, “ I hope they actually shut the fuck up when James comes.” Everyone agreed with Qrow yet Clover yelled “ LANGUAGE” but he still agreed.

Qrow shuffled and placed the cards down this time since he didn't trust Clover to do it and Clover threw his hands up in betrayal. It was weird how Clover kept winning when his gaze was always on Qrow with lovey-dovey eyes.

You expected the soldiers next door to be annoying, but they decided to talk about something else today.

Well not something- more like _someone._ You.

“ Have you heard about that girl who came with those kids? Y/N L/N or something.” You heard one of the soldiers say. Weiss and Oscar stopped decorating to listen in, and the people playing UNO even stopped and stared at the wall.

“ Ohh yea. The girl who dresses like a slut?” Another soldier asked. Your fists clenched and you saw that Elm’s did too. 

“ Maybe she was the girl who was pregnant instead, she was in that photo.”

“ Yea but it said Ace Operative and she ain't one.”

Now 3 soldiers were talking.

“ Apparently General Ironwood was gonna ask her to be an Ace-op. So maybe it was her.”

“ I wouldn't be surprised, I've heard she's slept with 8 guys and more.”

“ Well with the way she dresses, she probably has. She really is a slut.” 

“ Heard that she's dating that Faunus Operative. Man better watch out if she's just gonna use him for sex.” 

“ I’d totally hit her up though just for it, she's hot.”

“ Me too.”

“ Me three.” 

Now everyone's fists were clenched, Weiss and Vine’s faces were red with anger. You shifted in your chair uncomfortably as they kept talking about how you look, how many guys you've dated, and how many you've slept with even though you NEVER slept with any guys. 

Qrow rose from his chair slowly but you put a hand on his shoulder before he could fully stand and pushed him back down, as much as you wanted to scream at the soldiers, you didn't want to cause a scene. 

“ it's _fine.”_ That was an obvious lie.

“ At least let us scream at them! Are you actually fine with them saying that shit about you?” Clover didn't call out Elm on her language, as he was too angry.

“ Of course I'm not! But I don't want to cause a scene.” You said, quiet enough so the soldiers in the other room wouldn't hear.

“ But-”

“ I have training with someone.” You interrupted Marrow then stood up and walked towards the door, Oscar then walked to the table where the Ace-ops were sitting, “ Thank the brothers that the General’s office Is right down the hall.” He whispered then winked and everyone smirked in the room, other than you who was already heading for the training room a LONG way down the Academies hall but still a little close.

_“...Are you okay?”_ You stumbled when you heard Ozpin’s voice in your head. You groaned, _“ Are you able to listen to every conversation?” You asked._

_“ Well since I'm connected to Oscar, yes. But you still didn't answer my question.”_ You groaned again, _“ I'm fine, they're just disgusting soldiers.”_

_“ But-_

_“ I appreciate you being concerned Oz, but really, I'm fine.”_ You insisted and the wizard had given up.

You didn't notice how Oscar quietly walked to the General’s office.

“ General Ironwood?” Oscar walked in awkwardly. The General looked up from the report he was reading and his eyes lit up to see the young boy standing there but what worried him was that he was fumbling his fingers and his face was scrunched up in discomfort.

James understood that as ‘Something was wrong.’

Even though you saw it as, ‘ I just woke up from a nightmare.’

“ Oscar, what is it?” He asked, “ It's Y/N.” Oscar responded and James asked what it was.

* * *

These were his soldiers, he knew their faces and names. He had always tried to get rid of any horrible talk that happens in the Military, such as Slut-Shaming, saying horrible things of his operatives or students from the Academy and Faunus Criticism. He had tried his best to get rid of it all, but sometimes his soldiers just can't listen

Everyone in the common room smirked as they heard the General yelling at the same 3 soldiers who talked shit about you. James was your friend, and he would do anything to help his friends, the kids, or his operatives. It was what you admired about him, he was a helpful person. And by helping his friends who were being slut-shamed, that means he would scream at whoever, even if they were his own soldiers.

“ They deserve it.” Harriet said through her smile as they all listened to the General’s yelling. Everyone nodded their head in agreement, “ Good Job Oscar.” Qrow said and high-fived him.

“ That kid has no idea what he's talking about!” One of the soldiers yelled and everyone just rolled their eyes.

“ You're fired.” Was all they heard before a door slammed. Everyone threw their arms up in victory, “ WOO!” Clover cheered and so did everyone else.

“ We can hear you!” A soldier yelled then everyone winced, waited a moment, and started snickering to piss the soldiers off.

* * *

“ GREAT SO EVERYONE FORGETS MY BIRTHDAY AND THEN WHEN I’M WITH THE ACE-OPS, SOME SOLDIERS STARTED TALKING IN THE ROOM BESIDE US. SO ONE OF THEM WAS LIKE, ‘ she's slept with 8 guys’ BUT I HAVE NEVER SLEPT WITH ANYONE AND THEN THEY CALL ME A WHORE FOR THE WAY I DRESS? WHAT THE FUCK?!” You screamed and you honestly didn't care if anyone was bothered by your screaming. Oscar soon came into the training room and you felt bad for swearing In front of him but he understood.

Oscar sat down beside Willow and Maria who were sitting on the hard light dust blocks and watched as you walked in circles around the training room, “ Atlesians can be monsters. I should know, I'm married to one.” You all laughed, Willow will always be able to bring you out of your anger state.

“ My cane can turn into a Kama, would you like me to kill him?” Maria asked and Willow shook her head, “ No no, I’d rather myself.” Yeah, Willow will always be able to make you laugh.

_“ ‘ I'm fine’ she says, ‘ I appreciate you being concerned’ she says.”_

_“ Okay so maybe I'm a little mad.”_

_“ A_ little? _I can_ feel _your anger.”_

“ Enough talk now, I told you I’d help you with your summoning,” Willow said and you nodded.

“ Have you ever tried?” She asked, “ Yea but I've always failed.” When using your semblance, it can drain your aura, and especially because summoning is one of the biggest aspects of your semblance, it drains a lot.

“ Okay.” She paused and then her face became serious, “ Back straight!” She hissed and you flinched. She was scary when serious.

You had Hush extended, the tip of the needle was touching the floor and your emblem had formed on the ground and glowed. Your emblem was a tomoe symbol.

You had to have good thoughts so you could do this, but the words of the soldiers were stuck in your head.

_“ Y/N you have to think good thoughts.”_

_“ I'm trying Oz!”_

But then, your emblem disappeared and Willow sighed and put a hand on your shoulder, “ Emotions can grant you your strength. But you must never let them overpower you.” She gave your shoulder a comforting squeeze before letting go and Maria had decided to help.

“ I said this to Ruby at the farm, and it should work for you too.” She used her cane to walk over to you. “ Life is beautiful. It is precious. And it must be protected. Think about those who love you, the way they can make you feel. Like a certain dog Faunus-”

“ Hey!” 

She only laughed and walked back to the hard light dust block she was sitting on.

_“ You can do it Y/N, I believe in you.”_ You smiled, “ _Thanks Oz.”_

You focused and your emblem was back on the ground, it gleamed brighter than before. 

Willow smiled, “ Good form. Now think about any Grimm you've killed, may it be a Nevermore or an Ursa. The ones who forced you to push past where you were, and become who you are now. Think of them, and watch as they come to your side.” She said and toe-poked your leg so you could stand straight and you chuckled.

_“ Oz name a random Grimm.”_

_“ Nevermore.”_ He simply replied.

Well, you've killed a Nevermore before.

You closed your eyes and focused, using all of your Aura.

Oscar, Maria and Willow all made a few surprised gasps and you opened your eyes and- Wow..the top hairs of a Nevermore was rising up slowly, it was working.

You closed your eyes again, pushing your Aura to rise up and go into your Semblance.

You opened your eyes when you heard glass cracking, the Nevermore was rising faster, it was working, but it may have been a little too much…

You removed the tip of the Needle from the ground, the Nevermore was still rising thankfully, you opened Hush, “ Get behind me!” You yelled when a bunch of wind had entered the room and you heard glass cracking even more.

Oscar, Maria and Willow got behind you. The Nevermore’s wings were now coming out. You held Hush in front of you all. 

The glass from the window where James would usually watch from was cracking, same with the windows attached to the doors of the training room.

It cracked more and more and the Nevermore rose from the ground Faster and faster, all that needed to come out now was its legs.

All the glass broke and a bright light had illuminated the room. You all shut your eyes tightly and waited for the sound of glass breaking and falling to come to an end.

It finally did, you closed Hush then opened your eyes and-

“ Holy shit.” Willow breathed out.

“ IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT-” James yelled then came to a stop when he noticed the giant Nevermore made out of glass standing In front of you, the Ace-ops and Qrow soon came in and they gasped.

“ Yes James, it is.” You said and smiled when the Nevermore had bowed with one of its wings in front and the other behind it in the air.

“ HOLY-”

“ CRAP.” Marrow finished Harriet’s sentence then looked at you and smiled.

You looked at Hush and winced, it's fabric was broken. Damn.

You looked at the Nevermore then the Ace-ops then back to the Nevermore then back to the Ace-ops. You widened your eyes in realization.

“ HOLY SHIT I JUST SUMMONED!”

* * *

You were walking in Mantle- blindfolded- and being pushed by Willow and Maria was walking at your side.

“ Where are we going?” You asked.

“ It's a surprise~” Willow sang and she kept pushing you.

You groaned and just let her keep pushing you. You walked for what felt like hours.

You were in an open area, you couldn't see but you felt a bunch of Aura’s, but no one was talking.

“ Okay. When I say go, put your hands on the back of your head and untie the blindfold.” You heard Willow say and you nodded.

After a few moments of silence she spoke again, “ Go!” She yelled and you put your hands behind your back then untied the blindfold and-

“ SURPRISE!” A bunch of people screamed and you flinched when you finally saw light.

You felt your heart do a backflip and tears formed in your eyes when you saw everyone in the Fang having their arms up. There was a giant banner that had, ‘ HAPPY BIRTHDAY Y/N!’ 

Team XMAS, The Huntresses and Oz had walked down the stairs. Even Pietro was among all the Faunus.

“ Maria told us that everyone forgot it was your birthday...so we decided to surprise you!” Samantha said and you gave her a tight hug. You turned to all of the members of the Fang, “ Thank you!” You said and wiped tears from your eyes. 

_“ Happy Birthday Y/N.”_ You kneeled and hugged the dog- Oz.

“ Thank you.” You whispered.

“ I’d like a hug too!” Pietro said as he came towards you. You chuckled and hugged him.

“ NOW OPEN YOUR GIFTS!” Xanthe yelled and you laughed then walked towards a pile of gifts in bags or just giant teddy bears.

It took maybe 3 hours to open the gifts, well you also ate cake and played games in between so that's why. Pietro, Maria and Willow all had a gift that they wanted to show you at the end of the party.

It was maybe 5 pm when Pietro had finally announced he was gonna show the gift.

Willow covered your eyes as you walked where she led you.

She removed them and- Oh my gods.

It was a motorcycle, painted pink and white, everything else was black. Tears were already forming in your eyes again, this was the best gift ever! “ I also added ADA to it.” Pietro said. You turned around to all of them smirking and Oz just wagging his tail.

“ Thank you Thank you Thank you!” You yelled and pulled them all into a group hug, then gave Oz a hug too.

“ This is the best! Thank you!” You said when you sat on the bike.

Thank the gods that Vine taught you how to drive, well, barely.

“ Good because I've never worked so hard in my life to build something!” Willow said and you all laughed.

“ Hey I helped too!” Xanthe walked towards you all and you hugged her, “ Ah yes, my best scientist.” Pietro said and Xanthe chuckled.

You took the motorcycle to the garage which was at the very side of the Base. It was a GIGANTIC base.

You all continued to play games with everyone in the Fang and eat the chocolate and vanilla cake they got you.

It was Oz’s voice that startled you, _“ Y/N, Oscar just informed me that you were supposed to be up in the Academy an hour ago for James’ party.”_

Fuck. You checked the time, it was 7pm. Damnit damnit damnit!

“ Guys this has been really fun and I can't thank you all enough but I have to get up to the Academy now and Bye!” You said really fast before you ran to the door.

It was dark out, the Aurora was shining and Gods was it such a beautiful view.

FOCUS!

You started running to Mantle so you could reach a civilian transport up to Atlas.

You were about 10 minutes away from the transport area when you heard a woman scream.

You ran into a dark alleyway to find someone holding a gun at a woman's head. Whoever it was didn't see you though so you walked quietly but fast so they wouldn't shoot. 

Whoever it was turned around when you accidentally stepped on a branch. They were wearing a White Fang mask, “ Nice mask. Looks a lot like mine.” They removed the gun from the woman's head and started running them climbing a ladder and onto the top of a roof.

It was weird...it looked like James’ gun.

You ran to the woman, “ Are you okay?” You asked but she was too scared to say anything. You always had an earpiece when you were down in Mantle so you reached for it. “ Xanthe, track me, I need you to take this woman to safety.”

“Got it,” She replied.

You decided to run after whoever was holding her at a gunpoint. You started climbing the ladder of a 20 story building. Damn Mantle buildings were tall.

You got to the top and there was a rope that led to the ground and into a car. The person was gliding down.

“ Stop!” You yelled but yelling was literally useless to use on a person who was about to MURDER someone. You ran across the top of the building and held Hush upside down and put the handle over the rope and zoomed down. But the person cut the rope and you were about to fall- Correction, you're falling _now._

You reached for your earpiece, “ ADA BRING MY BIKE NOW!”

_“ Your coordinates Y/N?”_

“ WHEREVER THE FUCK IM FALLING!” 

You opened Hush but then remembered that part of the fabric was ripped, yet the remaining of the fabric slowed your fall just a little. A LITTLE.

When you started getting closer and closer to the ground you shut your eyes tightly.

_I’M ABOUT TO FUCKING DIE_

You screamed when you decided to open your eyes again- WHICH WAS A HORRIBLE IDEA- and you were SO CLOSE TO THE GROUND.

You shut your eyes again but then suddenly you landed on something soft. You opened your eyes and made a sigh of relief to see the bike.

“ HAHA! ADA I COULD KISS YOU RIGHT NOW!” You yelled then started the bike up and followed the person.

_“ I Don't think Fox or Velvet would approve.”_

Right, Fox and Velvet built ADA-

“ ADA who am I following?” You asked and tried to look at the persons mirror on the roofless sports car but it was as if they had an invisibility semblance.

_“ They are not in my database.”_

“ Not in your- Wha- how is that even possible?!”

_“ I do not know.”_ Wow.

It was a car chase, both of you didn't care about the speed limit. It was when you were crossing a bridge when the person started shooting. The rest of their body was invisible but their hand was shown...it was a metal hand. 2 guns, gravity dust in one. And the other had explosive bullets...just like James’ guns.

Whoever was driving was obviously a good driver, they took out one of the guns and pointed it at you without even looking, and shot. The bullet pierced your shoulder yet thankfully didn't go through completely but your Aura shimmered though you didn't care, you HAD to know who this person was. And why they had a White Fang mask.

You winced when the explosive bullet hit something behind you and well, exploded. This bitch kept shooting and you dodged each one but you kept wincing when you heard stuff explode from behind you.

But there was a roadblock ahead and part of the bridge was broken off. You expected the person to stop but they sped up, “ What are they doing?” You breathed out.

They drove through the roadblock and the car had soared through the sky and reached the other end of the bridge. You stopped when you reached the edge of the broken bridge.

“Damnit!” You hissed.

As much as you were mad, you were still confused, they had a metal hand, Just like James! 2 guns, Just like James! But James didn't have an invisibility semblance…

You groaned and drove to Pietro’s pharmacy and left Hush there with a note to see if he could fix the fabric and you left some lien.

_“ Oz can you ask Oscar if James had recently left or come back?”_

_“ Sure.”_ There were a few moments of silence until Oz spoke again, “ _Oscar said he left 30 minutes ago to do something and came back 5 minutes ago.”_

_Fuck._

You went back to the base to grab all of your gifts, seeing that there was no reason to hurry back up to the Academy anymore since the party ended a while ago. It took a while to grab every gift, you had to turn some into glass because you couldn't carry all of the giant teddy bears or gifts. You ignored any messages that everyone kept sending you.

You were too pissed to even talk to anyone right now. Of course everyone forgot it was your birthday. You're their friend! How the hell could they forget? And of course 3 soldiers had to shame you for the way you dress. Oh and losing the damn person who could be murdering White Fang members!

Your scroll started ringing and ADA announced that it was Marrow but you just ignored it.

You just wanted to lay in bed, and go to sleep for so many hours.

* * *

“ Okay Oscar, go get the General!” Clover said after he finished placing the desserts on the table and making sure each decoration was in place yet Weiss had insisted they were perfect.

Oscar nodded and soon left the common room, The General came about a minute later, “ SURPRISE!” Everyone screamed and James chuckled, “ Happy Birthday!” Everyone screamed, “ Thank you.” he said as he and Winter walked into the room.

Everyone soon went into their own conversations while Clover and Winter looked at movies to watch. James and Ruby browsed through the table with desserts all over it, “ You really out did yourself Miss. Rose.” James said and he picked up a chocolate cupcake, “ Well I couldn't have chosen the desserts without my team! And you can call me Ruby, General Ironwood.” The General simply nodded.

He looked around his room and his face fell when he didn't see you in the room, “ Is Y/N still upset?” James asked and the Ace-ops nodded, “ Why would she be upset?” Blake asked and Oscar and Weiss shifted uncomfortably on the couch they were sitting on.

“ 3 soldiers were calling Y/N a whore and judging her for the way she dresses.” Marrow explained and he clenched his fist tighter and tighter as he said each word, Yang’s eyes turned red and she looked at The General, “ Did you fire them?!” She asked and Nora agreed, “ if you didn't then can I smash them with my hammer?”

James chuckled, “ Don’t worry, they will never step foot in the Academy ever again.” Yang and Nora made a sigh of relief. “ Shame this happened on her birthday.” He added and everyone looked at him confused other than Oscar who continued to eat a piece of carrot cake.

Oh wow so James did know it was your birthday.

“ Birthday?” Qrow asked and Marrow widened his eyes and put a hand on his face, “ Fuck.” He breathed out, “ I can't believe I forgot it was her birthday.” He whispered to himself yet Elm had heard, “ It's her birthday?!” She asked and James nodded.

“ How did we forget? We celebrated it with her at Beacon!” Weiss said and the members of team RWBY and JNR were all freaking out inside right now.

“ Wait you didn't know?” I thought some of the desserts were for her too.” He said and looked at the gigantic table with tons of desserts on it.

“ We didn't know!” Clover cried out and he had a hand on his forehead.

Everyone In the room was upset that they forgot it was your own birthday, yet Oscar knew the entire time. Marrow seemed the most upset. He's known you for like 13 years and he forgot! _I'm such a horrible friend._ He thought, ashamed If himself.

“ I can't believe we forgot.” Was the last Jaune said before everyone in the room fell quiet, shame washing over them.

* * *

You leaned against the wall of the elevator when it started heading up to the Penthouse. When you got there, you just wanted peace and quiet.

The elevator door beeped and- 

“ Y/N!” The Ace-ops, Qrow and Winter all got up and ran towards you as you walked out of the elevator.

“ WE ARE SO SORRY!”

“ WE DIDN’T KNOW!” 

“ WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL US?”

You walked towards your room and they all followed you and kept yelling.

“ Stop.” You hissed and everyone soon stopped. You just wanted peace and quiet, was that too much to ask for? “ I understand your sorry but I actually really don't care at this point.” You said and started typing in the password to open your door. “ A bullet pierced my damn shoulder, I got slut-shamed and I’ve just had the WORST FUCKING DAY EVER!” You snapped and everyone flinched. You opened your door, “ GOODNIGHT!” You yelled before slamming the door.

You dropped the gifts on the floor then flopped onto your bed and you felt tears form in your eyes. You didn't want to admit it but yeah, you were really upset they all forgot it was your birthday.

There was one gift you saw in the corner of your eye, it was a pink bag with a floral print, a gift from team XMAS that you didn't open yet. 

You got up and kneeled down then grabbed the bag and looked into it. You took a pink leather jacket out with the White Fang emblem printed on the back. You were definitely gonna wear it when you had the blonde lady's body again. You hid the jacket at the very back of your closet so no one could see it.

The next gift in the bag was a photo- well 2 photos- it was a photo with you, Adam, Marrow, Xanthe, Samantha and Miko when you were younger. Zedd wasn't in it because he didn't join the White Fang until about a year before you left.

The second photo was the same but there was a note attached to it.

_The second photo is for my brother._

  * _Xanthe._



You nodded then continued looking through the bag for another gift, there was a CD. You grabbed it then put it into a CD player that was on one of the tables in your room.

It was a recording of Marrow, Xanthe, Adam, Samantha and Miko singing happy birthday when you were just 12.

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday dear Y/N

Happy Birthday-

MARROW GET YOUR HANDS OFF THE CAKE!

YOU’LL NEVER CATCH ME!

HAHA! HAPPY BIRTHDAY Y/N WE LOVE YOU!

Tears rolled down your cheeks as you listened to the recording. You remembered how Marrow took the cake from Xanthe and ran with it. You missed that, the two of them just being annoying but also fun.

You brought the CD player onto your bed.

You replayed it over and over until you fell asleep. 


	37. She’s a real girl, not steel.

It was Saturday, no briefings or missions, other than Clover who gets a debriefing from the General on this day. Councilwoman Camilla was hosting a Gala on Sunday to celebrate the upcoming election in 5 days. Guess rich people love hosting fancy celebrations.

But the best part of today, was Qrow’s date with Clover. Well if best counts as freaking out then yea. He was panicking! of course he's been on a date before but that was during his Academy days, it's been 21 years! Yet as you and Oscar kept watching Qrow pace around his room and trying to find what to wear, you realized that he really, REALLY liked Clover if he was having a problem on what to wear on his date with the Captain.

“ Qrow I think you should just wear your normal clothes.” Qrow looked at you as if you just said something disgusting, “ NO!” He yelled and you and Oscar flinched.

“ Qrow you have 30 minutes until the date.” The birdman looked at Oscar confused until he looked at the time and NOW he was freaking out.

“ He’s freaking out now.” Oscar said as he facepalmed and you chuckled, “ He's been freaking out for the last hour.” Oscar hummed in agreement.

_“ So who is this Clover?” Oz asked._

_“ Captain of the Ace-ops.” You replied and Oz hummed, “ Personality?” This was basically an interrogation on Clover yet you were the one being asked questions._

_“ Well he's really nice and trusts his team but sometimes he just relies on his semblance to save him.” You sent and Oz made a hum of disapproval, “ I already don't like him.” Oz is being a little overprotective with Qrow._

“ Qrow, just go in your usual outfit, I see how Clover always has his gaze moving up and down when he's looking at you.” You looked at the door and Winter was leaning against the door frame with a smirk on her face.

“ Ice Queen have you ever been on a date?” Qrow asked as he started throwing a bunch of shirts out of his closet. She gave a sad chuckle, “ Only once during my Academy days. But if Clover really likes you then he won't care what you wear, he'd rather see the real you.” She said in a soft and genuine voice and Qrow stopped rummaging through his closet then looked at Winter and smiled.

“ Thank you.” He said and she nodded, “ But what have you done with Winter Schnee and where did you hide her body?” He asked and she chuckled, “ Please say something rude Ice Queen, this is too nice.” 

She rolled her eyes, “ Please don't be foolish on your date, and if you do anything horrible to him then I will remove your tongue.” She said in a cold voice and you and Oscar flinched at her sudden mood change.

Qrow put a hand over his heart, “ That warmed my heart.” You swear you heard Winter snort when she walked away.

“ Okay, you remember the plan?” You asked and Qrow nodded but you raised an eyebrow up and Qrow read that as ‘ Explain it.’ He sighed, “ I'll head to the Diner you were talking about and then order food then once the place closes, me and Clover will be able to stay after hours since you own the damn place.” Qrow explained and you smiled.

“ You ready?” Oscar asked and Qrow gave out a shuddery breath but then nodded. You got up from the bed and walked towards the door with Qrow, “ Good luck!” Oscar yelled and Elm gave Qrow a thumbs up and smile as he walked towards the elevator.

* * *

Qrow was sitting at a booth in the diner and he felt his leg shaking like crazy. Clover was supposed to be here 10 minutes ago yet he didn't show. But maybe he was Busy! Clover said he would love to go on the date which meant he really wanted to go on it with Qrow!....right?

You and Seven watched from the kitchen in the back as Qrow became more and more nervous in every minute. Seven sighed, ”You think that dude is gonna show?” He asked, you checked the time, 6:15, “ I hope so.” You responded.

You heard a woof from beside you then you looked down and Oz was there. You groaned, “ Oz did you really come here to spy on Qrow?” You asked then realized you said it out loud.

Seven looked at you then Oz and chuckled, “ You talk to your dog?” He asked and you nodded, “ It's so I'm not...lonely?” You tried not to make it sound like a question but it came out as one. He nodded, “..Right.” 

_“ Oz!”_

_“ He didn't even come? Now that's bullshit.”_

Oh my gods you've never heard Oz swear before.

_“ Damn Oz. And don't you think you're being a little overprotective?” You asked and his paw hit you on the leg_ , “ _I care about Qrow! Me just coming to check on him on his date is not being overprotective.”_

_“ it kind of is…”_

_“ She’s not wrong.” Oscar joined the conversation._

You and Seven continued to look at every window or door to see if there was any sign of Clover, but there was no one in the shadows. Qrow eventually lost hope and Oz ran up to him to keep him company, _At least a dog came to keep me company,_ he thought and chuckled to himself.

Seven threw you a key, “ We closed 5 minutes ago, make sure to lock up, okay?” You nodded and he soon left, then it was just you, Qrow and Oz.

You walked over to the booth with a piece of pie for Qrow, “ Hey..” Your voice was soft and genuine. You put down the piece of pie and a smaller one for Oz but Qrow didn't feel like he could eat.

You sat down across from him, “ You okay?” You asked and he shrugged, “ I really thought he would show..” He whispered and Oz tried to make him feel better as he licked his face and Qrow chuckled, “ Isn't this Oscar’s support dog?” He asked as he started to scratch behind Oz’s ears.

“ Uhm, yea! I decided to bring him so I didn't die of boredom in the back of the Diner.” You said and he chuckled, “ Let's head back to the Academy.” You stood up but Qrow really loved the dog, “ And we’ll bring him too.” Qrow smiled and got up, Oz following.

* * *

You got up to the Academy at 7:30 and ignored any weird looks from students on why a dog was in the school.

“ Salutations Qrow and Y/N!” 

“ AHH!” You and Qrow screamed then turned around to find Penny standing there. “ Hey kiddo.” Qrow said and ruffled her hair, she tilted to look at Oz, “ Your fluffy companion is back!” She said joyfully as ever.

“ So what are you doing here? I've never seen you at the Academy around this time.” Her face fell a little at your words but she still seemed a little happy. “ Team RWBY and JNPR informed me about a Game night happening in a bit! So I'm sneaking off to join them for their so-called Game night! Shh, it's a secret.” Why did she have to sneak off?

“ Why are you sneaking off?” Qrow asked, She put her hands behind her back and smiled sheepishly, “ General Ironwood said that I should not waste my time on silly things or fun things but I really want to spend time with my friends!”

James should be giving Penny a chance to be a real teenage girl, but if she can't have fun then it's as if he's treating her as one of the Atlesian Knights.

“ James won't let you have fun just like any of the other teens?” Penny nodded her head, “ Well not exactly, he said I had more important things to think about!” You and Qrow couldn't believe it, “ I must now go to Game Night, have a good evening!” And like that she then turned around and headed to the dormitory.

“ Have fun Penny!” You yelled as she walked away. You put a hand on your forehead, “ You take Oz up to the Penthouse and I'll go talk to James.” Qrow looked at you confused, “ Did you say Oz?” He asked and you widened your eyes, “ Wha- No! I meant..Mochi..”

“...Right.”

_“ Wow nice save.”_

_“ Shut up.”_

You walked to James’ office.

“ James?” You called as you slowly opened the door to his office to find him reading a report, “ Yes Y/N?” He asked without even looking up.

The fact you didn't respond had worried him and he finally looked up a little, “ What is it?” He asked, “ Penny.” You simply replied.

“ Is something wrong with her?” He asked, a look of concern on his face.

“ Well, I just found her sneaking off to a Game night with Team RWBY and JNPR and she said that the only reason she was sneaking off, was because you said she couldn't do fun things.” He looked at you surprised “ That’s not what I said..” He frowned and you pulled up a roller chair and sat on it by his desk.

“ Then what did you say?” You asked but before he could speak, you spoke again, “ And on a supply run with her, I heard her say, ‘ General Ironwood says I don't have time for friends’ when she was talking with Ruby. Dude what the hell?” Penny should be given every right to have friends and hang out with them!

He sighed, “ I told her it would be fine to spend time with her friends but that she should also remember her duties as the protector of Mantle.” You facepalmed and gave a humourless chuckle, “ James, she's a teenage girl, she's gonna hear that as ‘You're the protector of Mantle, do your job and don't do anything else.” He frowned, “ So maybe tell her that she's allowed to spend time with her friends...unless you see her as just some type of Atlesian Knight-”

“ Brothers No!” He exclaimed and his head jerked up.

“ She's a real girl James. Yet she thinks you don't see her like that, you should tell her that you care.” He nodded his head and you stood up then walked towards the door but there was a sudden urge to turn around- so you did.

* * *

When Qrow got to the Penthouse he didn't want to talk to anyone, he'd rather lay in his bed and cry since Clover hadn't come. He shouldn't have gotten his hopes up. Him on a date with Atlas’s golden boy? Yeah, it was destined to never happen.

But of course, Elm had to ask about the date.

“ Hey Qrow! Also the General informed us that Election day was moved down to the 13th, just 3 more days! Also we have the Gala tomorrow and yea, but how did your date with Clover go?! In fact, where is Clover?” She asked and now everyone in the living room was waiting for an answer.

Clover wasn't even with them. Just like he hadn't been with Qrow.

“ There was no date, he didn't show.” Was all Qrow said to them until he walked into his room and closed the door.

He laid on his bed and looked out the window right beside it, he watched as the stars twinkled and how the moon illuminated light into his darkroom. The dog was lying beside him, “ I can't believe I thought he would come.” Qrow mumbled and Oz nuzzled against Qrow’s cheek. Oz was really picking up on dog instincts. 

Qrow chuckled and scratched behind the dog's ear, “ Thanks.” He breathed out, “ That kinda made me feel better.”...And then the dog started licking his face and Qrow laughed, “ Ack! Okay, Okay!” He hugged the dog then sat up straight and faced him.

“ Was your name Mochi?” Qrow asked and as much as Oz hated that name, he nodded. “ Oh wow you can understand me.” Qrow raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“ Well Mochi, do you think I should try calling Clover?” 

_No, I really don't like him._

_Wait I can't talk to him yet-_

The dog shook his head, “ I wonder where he is..” Qrow started thinking on all the possible reasons why Clover didn't come but Oz just rolled his eyes.

Oz wished he had been able to talk to Qrow, yet he knew that if he revealed himself, nothing would go well. Even if Qrow was mad at him, he would never stop caring for the awkward, nervous and funny man he still remembers from the Academy.

Qrow flinched when he heard a knock out of all the silence but he didn't want to talk to anyone so he instead threw his head into the pillow and pulled it over his ears, trying to ignore the light knocks that kept coming.

“ Qrow?” Clover called softly from the other side of the door and Qrow felt hot tears prick.

“ Qrow, can I come in?” He asked.

Qrow didn't want to talk to him so he kept his head in the pillow.

Oz took the blanket into his mouth and pulled it on top of Qrow’s shoulders, “ Thanks Mochi.” He whispered.

Qrow heard him growl and he also heard his door open, “ Qrow?” Clover whispered and walked towards Qrow. He chuckled, “ I know you're awake, I heard you whisper something.” Qrow sighed and brought his face away from the pillow then sat up and looked him into the eyes, those beautiful damn eyes, “ What do you want?” 

Clover sat down beside Qrow and looked him into the eyes. Those beautiful crimson eyes.

“ Can we talk?” He whispered but Qrow looked away, “ We could have talked earlier.” he responded and Clover sighed.

“ Qrow.” He whispered again yet there was something in his voice that made Qrow look back at him, “ I'm really sorry, the General asked me to go on a mission and-”

“ You could have called.” 

Clover took Qrow’s hand into his, “ My scroll died.” There was no space in between them now and Qrow could feel Clover’s breath against his lips. “ Qrow Branwen, one of the most amazing Huntsmans I know. Would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow at Seven’s diner before the Gala?” 

Qrow laughed a little and Gods did Clover love his laugh , “ I'd love to, Lucky Charm. Though that was kinda cheesy.”

Clover pushed him playfully and Qrow laughed even more.

Oz didn't like Clover, but it warmed his heart to see Qrow happy.

* * *

You noticed the bags under his eyes, they were so dark that you were able to see them from 6 feet away. “ James how many hours of sleep do you get?”

“ 4.” He replied as he continued reading the report, you were even able to hear the tiredness in his voice.

“ You need to get more sleep James.” You said softly as you walked back towards his desk and sat on the roller chair beside it.

“ I have to read the next few reports.” You groaned, why was he so stubborn? “ Fine, but I'm staying here. We’ll order take out.” He smiled and chuckled, “ Sure.” he responded.

You pulled out your scroll and went onto a Take out app. You stood up and looked out the window in his office, but you caught something in the corner of your eye, you looked to the right and looked at one of the shelves on his bookshelf.

He chuckled and you widened your eyes, “ You thought you could get away with it, didn't you?” He asked and stood up, his back was faced to you and you took a step back but your back pressed against the window. You were trapped.

You glanced back to the item on the shelf.

A White Fang mask.


	38. It's Fairgame.

“ You thought you could get away with it, didn't you?” 

You started breathing heavily as he stood up from his desk. 

Why did he have a White Fang mask?

“ You thought you could get away with bringing Oscar’s dog, didn't you? I saw it on the Security Cameras.” You made a sigh of relief to know he was talking about Oz, “ If you wanted to bring him you could have asked.” He said, you chuckled nervously and put a hand on the back of your neck.

“ Are you okay?” He asked and put a hand on your shoulder, “ Your breathing heavily.” You chuckled, “ Ha- Yea I'm- I'm fine.” He nodded his head and sat back down.

Your scroll beeped, “ Take out is here.” you said and he nodded.

You paid the dude who gave you the take out then soon went back to James’ office.

And annoyed him for hours. 

And you knew by the way he rubbed his temples, he was gonna lose his shit.

“ So me and Fox were in the lab and we saw these weird-looking gadgets so we put them together and we were able to create some weird device so we pressed a button and then this green electric bolt hit the frog and then it was ALIVE! But it also reached all the other frogs in the lab then Fox did some weird screech and pointed at Octavia of team NDGO and all the frogs just raised from the tray and jumped onto her! She totally deserved it.”

James sighed but he still wasn't annoyed enough to go to sleep so you had to keep trying.

“ Okay so me and Coco were walking to team RWBY’s dorm with Blake but when we went in there, Ruby and Yang’s dog was sitting on Blake’s bed so she set her bed on fire after their dog went off and then the rest of Team RWBY and CFVY came in with Qrow. So since they had bunk beds the fire spread and we called Oz and-” You paused to clear your throat. “ Let me explain the call to Oz on what everyone said.” You coughed.

“ OZ WE UH, OUR BEDS ARE ON FIRE. That's what Ruby screamed.”

“ How did you set your beds on fire?” Oz asked and then we were all screwed from that point.” James gave an annoyed sigh, yep, the plan was working.

“ So our dog was on- OH GOSH THE FIRE IS SPREADING- OH MY GOSH THE FIRE IS ON THE CARPET- IT GOT TO THE OTHER BUNK BEDS- OZ IT SPREAD TO JNPR’s DORM! OH MY GOSH WERE LITERALLY GONNA SET THE DORMITORY ON FIRE! That was what Ruby screamed, I'm so happy I got it all on video though we had Combat detention with Glynda for 2 weeks after that and GODS WAS IT SCARY!” James just blinked rapidly and you wheezed.

“ OH AND THEN I WAS WITH TEAM RWBY AND SUN AND NEPTUNE ON A BRIDGE AND-”

“ OKAY I’LL GO SLEEP!” James threw his hands up in surrender, “ WOO!” You cheered, “ JEEZ JAMES IT’S MIDNIGHT! TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH!” He groaned and rose from his chair, “ Good night Y/N, see you at the Gala tomorrow.” He said before he soon walked off, into the shadows.

You yawned and waited for the elevator to open, even though it was midnight, everyone would probably be up and plus, you had some leftover food from the take out sooo.

“ FOOD!” Elm yelled when the elevator opened and you stepped into the penthouse. Everyone except Marrow was sitting in the living room. You smiled when you noticed Qrow resting his head on Clover’s shoulder, he winked and you understood that as, ‘ Me and Clover talked’ 

You placed the food on the table in the kitchen then held a box and walked towards Marrow’s room, “ Marrow I got-” You stopped when you heard some familiar voices in his room, you turned to everyone who was already eating the food, “ What's Marrow’s password?” You asked and Elm hummed, “ Xanthe.” she responded.

You smiled, he really did love his sister.

You typed in the password on the screen beside the door then opened it. You saw Marrow sitting on his bed with a hologram coming from his scroll, he had tears rolling down his cheeks and you sat beside him.

A video of him and Xanthe skating when he was just 16 and you turned 15 that day, and it was his first time on the ice, he kept falling and Samantha and Xanthe always had to help him up.

He rested his head on your shoulder and you put an arm around his shoulder. You both watched the video.

_“ I think I got the hang of it!” Marrow yelled but his legs were wobbling, “ Wait nevermind!” He yelped then slipped and fell on his butt. Adam was recording the video and you could hear him wince then laugh, Xanthe laughed and skated over to Marrow._

_“ Are you okay?” She asked through her laughter and Marrow nodded, she reached her hands out, “ Hold on, okay?” He nodded then grabbed a hold of her hands and yelped when he was pulled up very quickly._

_He held on to her tightly as she started skating backwards. Marrow started getting the hang of it and copied the movement she did with her feet- and he was skating!_

_“ WOO MARROW!” Miko cheered from the sidelines and Xanthe skated over to her boyfriend and pulled him into a kiss and Marrow groaned, “ Get a room!” Adam yelled._

_Marrow then skated over to you and took your hands in his own then pulled you into the skating rink and it was like nothing around you both mattered, even in Vale’s winter cold, it was as if he was the only warmth._

_Adam soon skated towards you both but then he yelped then fell and the video ended with all of your laughter._

Now you and Marrow we're both crying, you rested your head on his. “ I miss her.” He whispered and you pulled him into your embrace, “ You can always go down to Mantle and visit her.” You informed but he shook his head, “ That wouldn't be a nice family reunion.” he gave a sad chuckle. As much as you didn't want to admit it, he was right, it wouldn't be a nice reunion but the worst that could happen is if she used her semblance on him.

You gave him the box of food, “ it's yours.” You said and stood up from the bed then walked towards the door but then stopped when you remembered something.

You pulled out the photo of you, Samantha, Xanthe, Miko, Marrow and Adam. “ Here.” You gave him the photo and he smiled then wiped tears from his eyes, “ Thank you.” he whispered and you squeezed his hand then left the room. 

You found that everyone except Harriet were sleeping on the couches. You got some blankets and put them over everyone. “ G’Night.” You whispered then soon went to your room to find Oz already sleeping in there.

You chuckled then got into bed. The skating day didn't leave your head. You finally fell asleep when the butterflies in your stomach had left.

* * *

“ Blake set her bed on fire?!” Clover yelled and Qrow laughed, “ Yea! Just because our dog was on her bed!” They both started laughing like crazy, “ I can't believe she did that!”

You and Oz watched from the back as the 2 love birds were laughing their heads off, though you and Oz tried to stay hidden since Clover had no idea you were here.

It was after-hours so Clover and Qrow had the place to themselves. Thank the gods that Seven let you use this diner for after-hours 

At least they finally got to go on their date.

_“ Do you still dislike him?” You asked._

_“ Yep.” Oz replied and you rolled your eyes._

The diner was pretty big, and it had a small little dance floor for people to dance on for fun. Qrow glanced at it then stood up and put his hand out, “ Since we couldn't dance at the Ball, let's dance now.” Clover raised an eyebrow up in surprise but took Qrow’s hand.

There was a CD player connected to some type of radio, when Clover walked to the dance floor, Qrow ran up to you, “ Music?” he whispered and you gave him a CD, “ Thanks!” He whispered then ran back to Clover.

Clover had his hands on Qrow’s hips and Qrow had his arms around Clover’s neck and they swayed to the music.

_The situations turns around enough to figure out_

_That someone else has let you down_

_So many times I don't know why_

_But I know we can make it as long as you say it_

Clover recognized the voice, “ Isn't this Y/N?” He asked and Qrow nodded, “ She wanted to give us a little song to dance to,” He said and Clover chuckled.

_So tell me that you love me yeah_

_And tell me that I take your breath away_

_And maybe if you take one more than I would know for sure_

_There's nothing left to say_

_Tell me that you love me anyway_

_Tell me that you love me anyway_

They both leaned in a little, there was no gap between them and Qrow could feel Clover’s breath against his lips.

_Waking up beside yourself and what you feel inside_

_Is being shared with someone else_

_Nowhere to hide I don't know why_

_But I know we can make it_

_As long as you say it_

_So tell me that you love me yeah_

_And tell me that I take your breath away_

_And maybe if you take one more than I would know for sure_

_There's nothing left to say_

_Tell me that you love me anyway_

Clover leaned in more and then his lips were against Qrow’s.

_“ AAAA” You and Oz squealed in your heads and you were both definitely gonna get headaches_

_“ TAKEAPHOTOTAKEAPHOTOTAKEAPHOTO” Wow Oz was really loving this._

You brought your scroll out and took a photo of the two, “ _They’re so cute!”_

_“ I still dislike him.”_

_“ Oh, come on! Oz!”_

Their lips parted, “ We should probably go get ready for the Gala.” Qrow said and Clover chuckled, “ Just one more kiss?” Clover asked and Qrow nodded.

Gods they were just these 2 adorable lovebirds.

* * *

“ Y/N, are you almost ready?” Marrow asked from the other side of the door.

You were sitting by your dresser and looking at the mirror on it and putting your make-up on for the Gala, “ Almost!” You yelled and you heard him chuckle, “Can I come in?” He asked, “ Sure.”

After a moment, your door opened then Marrow came in and you turned your body towards him, “ Wow.” He breathed out and you chuckled, “ You look gorgeous.” You smiled and blush spread across your cheeks, “ Thank you.” 

You had a white Katya long sleeved dress, your hair was in a high ponytail and you had your hoop earrings on. You always had your hair in a high ponytail when going to fancy events, same with the earrings. But you never had the earrings on when fighting Grimm or anyone, or else they would try just ripping them out.

Which is NOT a nice feeling.

You finished doing your make-up, “ Are _you_ ready?” You asked, he scoffed, “ I should be the one asking you that.” He reached his hand out to you and you gratefully took it. You both walked hand in hand until you reached the area where everyone was and there were 3 limos like last time.

“ Do you all remember the same order from last time?” James asked and everyone made an ‘Eh’ sound and he groaned.

“ Me, the Ace-ops, Winter, Qrow and Y/N in one. Team RWBY with Penny in the second, and Team JNR with Oscar in the third.” Everyone nodded and soon went into their limos.

Councilwoman Camilla invited you and as in you, she meant the White Fang leader, but Samantha and Zedd were busy questioning the woman who was held at a gunpoint to see if she saw anything about the person. So you couldn't go.

You got to her Manor and walked in to find a few people just talking or holding glasses with Wine in their hands. There was classical music playing, but of course, Jacques Schnee was here.

You groaned, “ Jacques is here.” You said then everyone groaned and James rolled his eyes, “ Well sir, I wish you good luck.” Clover said and put a hand on the General's shoulder.

“ Winter, you can stay here.” James told her and then walked off to join the conversation between the 2 Council members and Jacques.

Winter made a sigh of relief to know that she didn't have to stand near or talk to her father.

You noticed Willow standing in a corner so she wouldn't have to talk to anyone. “ Hey Willow.” You greeted as you walked towards her and she smiled, “ Hello darling.” You stood by her side and watched as the conversation between Jacques and James got heated and James looked as if he were about to burst a vein.

“ Why do you have an earpiece? Is it mandatory in the Military?” Willow asked and you chuckled, “ Samantha and Zedd are asking the woman some questions to see if she noticed anything about the person.” You responded and she made a hum of understanding.

Jacques soon walked away from James with his fist clenched and James was even smirking, Willow sighed, “ Excuse me as I go make sure my husband doesn't do anything stupid.” You laughed and she walked away.

You then walked up to James who was standing alone, “ That looked rough.” You said and he chuckled, “ Well you know how he is.” He responded and you then stood by his side.

A man- who was hella cute- walked by you and winked and you elbowed James playfully, “ He’s cute.” You said then pointed to the guy and he just rolled his eyes, “ Just don't end up sleeping with him after saying ‘hi’ to him for the first time.” He said as he kept his head forward and had a neutral expression.

What…?

What did he mean by that? Did he actually fucking believe all of those rumours the soldiers had said? 

You looked at him wide-eyed and had a look of disbelief on your face, “ So do you think anyone I just bat my fucking eyelashes at, I'll sleep with them?” You raised your voice and the Ace-ops, Team RWBY’s, JNR’s and Oscar’s attention were on you both.

He looked down at you and frowned then realized what he said “ No- No, I didn't mean it like that!” 

You scoffed, “ You did.” you rasped and then walked away, the sound of your heels clicking on the ground as you walked to the door of the Manor to leave.

“ Y/N!” You ignored James then pushed the doors open and soon left. Screw him.

_“ Y/N?”_ You stopped when Samantha’s voice appeared on your earpiece, _“ Come down to the base, we talked to the woman. And it's Urgent.”_

“ Okay.” You responded and then took your scroll out to activate ADA but then you heard Willow’s voice, “ Y/N!” She yelled then walked down the steps and towards you, “ What happened?” She asked, “ James is just being a dick.” She groaned.

“ ADA, how much of a walk to get to the closest civilian transport down to Mantle?” 

_“ About a 10-minute walk.”_

Willow looked at you confused, “ Why do you need to go to Mantle?” She asked, “ The woman answered some of the questions and Samantha said it was urgent, ” Willow hummed, “ I'll come down with you.” She put a hand on your shoulder and you smiled and nodded.

* * *

Okay, it was not a 10-minute walk since you fell at least 17 times because of your heels, you just weren't used to wearing them! 

You both got to the base about 30 minutes later.

“ What is it?” You asked and team XMAS and the Huntresses were all sitting in the common room.

“ The woman talked about the person before they held her at a gunpoint, it was a man. He was tall, had 2 guns, one gun had gravity dust bullets and the other is just explosive bullets. She didn't see him entirely because they were In the dark but she thinks he had black hair. She tried to run yet he had a speed semblance but according to you, he had an invisibility semblance. “ She paused to regain her breath, “...he had a metal arm, his upper arm was covered by a sleeve but she ripped it off, his hand was covered by a glove but she was able to get it off too.” You widened your eyes. Metal...was she trying to say it was James…?

“ He got the glove back on so that's why you probably didn't see the metal when he tried shooting you from his car.” You made a hum of annoyance. Samantha then looked at Xanthe and she was sitting in a roller chair then frowned.

She rolled her chair over to a desk and started doing something on her laptop, “ We ran a few things with the description of the person that the woman gave us...and we got this.” She turned her laptop towards you and you and Willow both gasped.

_James Ironwood_

A picture of James was on her laptop, his name up above and his information.

_“ Do you really think it's him?”_ Oz asked and soon came into the room.

_“ I- I don’t know.” You admitted._

“ Y/N.” Robyn stood up from the couch she was sitting in and folded her arms in front of her, “ More and more people are dying by the week, and General Ironwood matches the person that the woman was talking about. If it really is him, you need to do something.” 

She was right...you became the leader to help with the Fang and the Faunus, but it isn't helping if you're not doing something about the members who were dying.

You let out a shaky breath, “ The Gala ends in 15 minutes.” You looked at Robyn, “ Do you know a place in Mantle we can use where we can broadcast something?” You asked and she nodded.

“ What are you thinking?” Willow asked and you sighed, “ You'll see in 20 minutes.”

You looked at Samantha, “ When Robyn finds a place, I need you to use your semblance so I can turn into the blonde lady.” She nodded.

“ OKAY GO!” Everyone except Xanthe had gotten up, “ Xanthe, when Robyn finds a place, I need you to get as many reporters as you can.”

* * *

Everyone got back to the Academy 20 minutes after the Gala ended, it would have been 10 if Elm, Yang and Nora hadn't insisted on a movie night and then everyone had to go get food.

Everyone sat on the couches in the common room, “ Clover, did you check if Y/N is in the penthouse?” The General asked and the captain nodded, “ She’s not in there. I checked security cameras to see if she was hiding anywhere but she never even came back to the Academy.” Clover said and the General rubbed his temples.

“ With all due respect sir, you kind of screwed up and pissed her off.” Winter said as she kept looking at her scroll and searching for movies to watch, the General sighed, “ I didn't mean to intend it that way.”

“ With all due respect sir, it seemed like you did.” Wow, Winter was not afraid to call out her boss. 

He groaned, “ But I didn't!” He exclaimed.

Before Winter could speak again, Ruby did.

“ Winter, connect your scroll to the TV and look at the news! It's the leader of the Fang.” Oscar and Qrow glanced at each other with confusion on their faces. Winter connected her scroll to the TV.

It showed you- well the blonde lady- going In front of a bunch of reporters.

_“ I know you may have all heard about those who are dying in Mantle.”_ Your voice- well the voice you were copying- echoed throughout the room. 

_“ Oz, what is Y/N doing?”_

_“ I suggest you get something for James to squeeze because he will be very angry after.”_

Now Oscar was worried.

_“ And I'm sure you all know that General Ironwood is being accused of all of these murders.”_ James fists clenched.

“ What is she doing..” Qrow whispered and glanced at a worried Oscar.

_“ Well, I think it is him.”_ There were a few surprised gasps from the reporters or people in the crowd behind them and watching.

_“ 2 days ago, a woman was held at a gunpoint and I was able to stop the man from shooting but he sadly got away. A few of my people talked to her and she gave us a description of the man. We ran some things and what came up was the one and only, James Ironwood.”_ A hologram appeared behind you which came from Xanthe’s scroll, it showed James and the information that matched the woman's description.

A few murmurs came from the crowd.

_“ 83 years ago Mantle suffered its worst, and a sign they needed for a better future was Atlas. But Atlas isn't a better future! Mantle is bleeding out like crazy and the General is only fixing it by just putting a bandaid on it!”_ There were a few, “ Yea’s!’ from the crowd.

“ General Ironwood has abandoned you. The people up in Atlas have abandoned you. But the Happy Huntresses and The White Fang haven't! General Ironwood hasn't done anything and he thinks the Embargo can help us? It hasn't done Jack shit!”

Now everyone in Atlas and Mantle was watching the broadcast.

_“ He treats Mantle as a wound but doesn't do anything to help us heal, but we can heal ourselves! We don't need him!”_ There were a bunch of more and louder ‘ Yea’s!’ coming from the crowd.

_“ Election day is in 2 days, so please, vote for Robyn Hill because we all know that Jacques Schnee can't help any of us! The people in Atlas treat us as low-class nobodies, but we are more than that! So Jacques Schnee isn't the person we should have on the Council, but instead Robyn Hill, so please, Vote Hill!”_ Everyone then yelled ‘ Vote Hill!’ and Robyn smiled at you.

A bunch of reporters started asking questions but you ignored them and Willow walked with you out until the cameras weren't on you two anymore.

Qrow and Oscar widened their eyes and looked at each other and James sat there with his fists clenched and he looked like he was about to burst a vein.

“ General Ironwood?” Weiss looked at him, “ No matter who wins that night, everything will go wrong.” He then stood up and walked towards the door of the common room, “ No one is allowed to leave, only for your missions.” Everyone hesitated then nodded, “ Yes sir.” The Ace-ops said in unison, “ Someone find Y/N, It's not safe for her out there.” He left the room.

Qrow and Oscar pulled out their scrolls. And all the way down in Mantle, Maria and Pietro watched the broadcast and started messaging you.

* * *

_Qrow: Y/N!_

_Qrow: What did you do?!_

_Qrow: You may or may have not just pissed off James like crazy._

* * *

_Oscar: Where are you? Why did you do that? Is it really James? Why didn't you tell us about the woman? Oh my gosh!_

* * *

_Pietro: By the brothers, Y/N!_

* * *

_Maria: HOLY SHIT_

* * *

_Marrow: Y/N, where are you? General doesn't think you're safe after what the leader of the Fang did._

* * *

James: Get to the Academy, now. It's not safe out there right now.  
  


Y/N: I can take care of myself. So fuck off.  
  


James: Look I'm sorry about what I said but please come to the Academy!  
  


Y/N: I'll be there tomorrow.  
  


James: Now.  
  


James: Y/N?  
  


James: Y/N! Answer me!

* * *


	39. Election Night.

You didn't say a word to James when you got back to the Academy the next day.

You and Qrow got into an argument when you came back too, which soon ended up into a fight though not a physical fight. You and him haven't talked since you slammed the door when you left his room, Oscar was even choosing to ignore you too.

But that night, there were a lot of words between the fight that just kept you up all night.

_“ IS ANOTHER ASPECT OF YOUR SEMBLANCE JUST BEING ANNOYING?”_ Qrow’s voice appeared in your head and you tried to shut it out as you sat in the corner of your room.

_“ QROW YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! I HAD TO DO SOMETHING!”_

_“ WHAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE WAS KEPT QUIET! IT’S NOT JAMES! YOU ARE CRAZY IF YOU THINK THAT.”_

Tears rolled down your cheeks and you kept your knees close to your chest and sobbed into them. The floor you were sitting on started turning into glass, slowly but then picked up the pace when the fight just echoed through your head again.

_“ I CHOSE TO BE THE-”_

_“ YOU CHOSE TO LIE TO US ALL!”_

_“ YOU KNOW WHAT, FUCK OFF!”_ You winced as the door slamming echoed in your head. 

And then it was with Clover. The argument between you and him started echoing through your head.

_“ Y/N, are you okay?”_

_“ Do I look okay?!”_ Then glass started to crack after you yelled at him, _“ Okay, calm down. Just my luck-”_

_“ Oh shut up with your luck! You always rely on your damn semblance to save you. You're so cocky!”_

_“ Excuse me? I- Well you always rely on your semblance to save you!”_

_“ I never do! Clover you're always flicking your damn pin. You rely on your semblance more than anyone!”_

_“ Oh fuck you! I never even wanted you to live in his damn Penthouse!” he yelled then groaned and walked to his room then slammed the door._

The next was with Harriet.

_She ran up to you using your semblance and you just groaned, “ Y/N I-”_

_“ Stop. I'm not In the fucking mood to talk.”_

_“ What I wanted to say was that you're being a bitch! And Clover’s right! You always rely on your semblance and act like you're better than everyone!”_

_The next one that you loathed the most was with the members of Team RWBY._

_You were walking through the dormitory after having a talk with Team FNKI on what you did the day before, and Yang with the rest of her team had decided to confront you._

_“ Y/N, what is up with you! You haven't talked to us in a while and now you're acting like a bitch to everyone!”_

_You stopped walking to face her and her team, “ Yang I really just want to go to my room and just sit in all of the peace and quiet.”_

_“ Talk to us! No more secrets, no more half-truth or lies, you're our friend-”_

_“ Well maybe I don't need friends like you!” You snapped and everyone gasped. After a moment of silence, Yang decided to speak again, “ I never asked to be friends with you. I wish I never even saved you when you were attacked by that Grimm during the Fall of Beacon.” She turned around and walked back to her dorm, the remainder of Team RWBY just stood there and after a moment, they all shook their heads and walked away._

“ Y/N?” James called from the other side of your door. You could only sob in response and James didn't hesitate to put in the password and open your door immediately.

He noticed the floor made of glass that you were sitting on, but he also noticed the scars and bruises on your arms, he gasped.

It was a mistake to wear a T-shirt.

“ Y/N..” He kneeled down and took a hold of your arms and looked at each scar but you couldn't face him and just kept your head in your knees.

Were you just really annoying? Was that it? Did you just treat everyone horribly that even the soldiers had talked shit about you? As James looked at every scar, the worst thought had come to his head, “ Y/N, did you do this to yourself…?” 

“ No.” That was all you were able to breathe out between your silent cries. He didn't believe you, “ Why would you do this?” He asked and you couldn't believe it, “ I didn't.” You breathed out and he scoffed, “ Then how are these just here randomly because I've never seen these before and-” He stopped when Oz growled at him and James jerked his head back.

Whenever you and Oscar weren't in the Academy, then Oz would go down to the base in The Slums so he was never lonely.

“ Go.” You whispered.

“ Y/N, I'm not leaving-”

“ Leave.” You whispered again but there was a sudden harshness in your voice which made James flinch, “ Fine.” you heard the door close.

Oz butted his head against yours to try and bring your head up and you giggled, “ Are you liking your dog form now?” You asked as you brought your head up then he licked your face and you playfully pushed him.

_“ I'll admit, it's fun, and it always makes you feel better.”_ You chuckled then wiped the tears from your eyes and started scratching behind his ears and his tail wagged. 

You stood up and winced as you saw that a bit of the floor had turned into glass, “ Oops.” you mumbled but then shrugged and flopped onto the bed and you giggled as you felt Oz’s tail ticking the side of your face. “ You really do like it.” 

“ Gods I really don't want to get up but I have to go to Robyn’s election party.” You groaned into your pillow and Oz’s paw just patted you on the back.

You took your scroll out from under the pillow and checked the time, 7pm, “ I should get going.” You got up from the bed.

Ruby was able to talk to James about keeping you all locked in the Academy and that he should let you all at least go to Election night. It took some convincing but she finally persuaded him.

You used your semblance to change into a white slit hem raglan dress. “ You wanna come with?” You asked and Oz jumped off of your bed and ran towards you, “ I'll take that as a yes.”

* * *

At least Oscar would come with you down to the election, even if he wasn't talking to you that much, he still cared.

You were all at the back of the warehouse, even Willow came.“ You brought the dog.” Zedd whined and clung himself to Samantha as if he were climbing her, just to get away from Oz.

  
  
You nodded then noticed that Robyn was pacing, “ You'll be fine Robyn! You're destined to win after that stunt Y/N did.” Willow said and gave her a reassuring smile, “ it's just this gut feeling that somethings going to go wrong and-” Robyn stopped and then you all overheard May talking to someone.

“ Funny! That's why we're here! So feel free to take a hike.” Her voice became cold at the last line and you all winced at the sudden mood change, “ Who do you think she's talking to?” Samantha asked and you shrugged, “ Let's find out.”

Ah, she was talking to Marrow.

“ Listen, the General is trying to help- oh hey Y/N!” He waves and you smiled but then his eyes widened when he saw his sister standing beside you, “ H-Hey Xanthe-” He stopped when she gave him a cold stare then turned around and headed back to the back of the warehouse and you all winced but May snorted and Willow elbowed her.  
  


“ Oh and the pip squeak is back.” Robyn said and ruffled Ruby’s hair but Ruby growled in response then Oscar walked towards them and stood beside Ruby and Penny.

“ Miss Hill! I would like to wish you good luck!” Penny was really happy to finally be able to spend time with friends without having to sneak off, even if she was actually here because she was working security, she was still happy. Robyn smiled, “ Thank you, Penny.” She ruffled her hair and Penny giggled.

You all covered your ears and shrieked when there was sudden feedback, “ Oops! Ha-ha, well, that worked.” Fiona smiled sheepishly and everyone started cheering and Ruby, Marrow, Penny, and Oscar walked to the sidelines to watch Fiona.

“ I want to thank everyone for going to the polls today. This is Mantle's moment. I know that, like me, you're all thrilled that we chose Robyn as our voice in Atlas. No one has fought harder for Mantle than she has. And…” She paused to wipe some tears from her eyes, “ I know Robyn will continue that fight on the Council. Will you share a few words?” She turned to Robyn and everyone started cheering louder.

You gave Robyn a playful push and she chuckled then walked up to the stage.

“ I've never been much for public speaking, probably wasn't my best idea ever to go into politics.” You all chuckled, “Thank you so much, everyone, for choosing me. You said you believe in me. But I'm the one who believes in all of you. You've proven to me that as individuals, we are strong. But together, we're unstoppable. So no matter what happens tonight, win or lose, we will continue to fight for our city, because it is this city that brings us together!” Everyone started cheering as she finished her speech. 

You noticed 2 familiar faces In the crowd and moved a little to get a closer look and- EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Ren’s lips were against Nora’s, there was no gap in between them, Ren made sure of that. You smiled, such love birds.

“ The polls are about to close in!” Robyn said and you walked back to the side of the stage, “ Thirteen! Twelve! Eleven-” The lights suddenly went off.

“ What..” You breathed out but then widened your eyes as you heard people screaming. You reached for the glasses on your belt then put them on and pressed the button at the side and the glasses lenses glowed Amber.

Night vision glasses.

You looked around the running crowd to see what was happening, Marrow was reaching for his earpiece and calling for help, Ruby’s back was against the stage wall and she had her eyes widened in horror, Penny had her swords out and your gaze followed to where she was looking- Oh come on!

“ TYRIAN!?” You yelled and he giggled then looked at you and started running at you, you closed your eyes as you were expecting him to hurt you but when you opened them, he was gone. You looked around the entire crowd, no sign of Tyrian.

Suddenly the lights went back on and you flinched. Robyn, May, Joanna, and Fiona were standing side by side on the sidelines. You ran to the back where Samantha was looking at the crowd in horror.

“ And the winner is...Jacques Schnee!”

No…

“ It's ironwood’s robot!” Someone yelled from the crowd, fuck, “ Semblance.” You said and grabbed her hand then blue and white shimmered over your body, Samantha handed you the White Fang mask and you put it on.

You got onto the stage where Marrow, Ruby, Nora, Ren, Oscar and Penny were already standing on it.

People started running towards the stage and Marrow was about to use his semblance but you knew it would use up a lot of his Aura so you stepped in, “ ENOUGH!” You roared then everyone stopped running and looked at you. The words echoing throughout the warehouse.

You looked at the screen which showed Jacques Schnee had won and you gave out a disappointing sigh, “ ELECTION NIGHT IS DONE! EVERYONE LEAVE! THE COPS WILL HANDLE THIS!” You yelled and everyone didn't hesitate to leave, same with Marrow and the others, except Oscar, went out the back door.

Sirens of police cars were mixed with the sound of the Grimm alarm. 

“ Oscar, take Willow and Oz back up to Atlas.” He nodded and started walking to the back door, Willow and Oz following.

You sighed then Samantha stopped using her semblance and you were back to your usual self, “ Let's go save Mantle.” Was the last you said before everything went to Chaos.

* * *

Robyn ran through alleyways to get to her hideout after the Grimm were cleared. She ran through one alleyway then onto a street then widened her eyes in horror when she saw something that she never expected to see. 

She let out a shaky breath when she saw you on the top of a broken car, glass shards from it were stuck in your body with blood around you, you were bruised up, unconscious and barely breathing. There was a bottle of painkillers coming out of your pocket and you smelled like alcohol.

“ Y/N!” She screamed and ran towards you.


	40. A Family Reunion

Team XMAS and the Huntresses were all sitting in a hospital waiting room after Robyn found you on top of a car, covered in blood, unconscious and barely breathing.

Atlas was to be the destination that you would go to, but you were in no condition to fly up to Atlas. Joanna soon found Robyn when she was checking your pulse, they both picked you up carefully and ran to the closest Mantle hospital they could find, thank the brothers they were down the street from one.

Xanthe and Samantha stood up when a nurse had come into the waiting room, she looked around, “ Family?” She asked and everyone shook their heads, “ She doesn't have a family. We're her guardians.” Xanthe then pointed to Samantha during her last line. 

It was only XMAS and the Huntresses in the waiting room, thankfully no one got hurt during the Grimm attack and everyone was able to stay in their homes safely, but the same can't be said for those who died during the Election party..

“ She’s in emergency surgery, we pumped her stomach and found that her lower intestine was ruptured.” The nurse said and Xanthe and Samantha felt their hearts shatter.

Robyn remembered how when she and Joanna brought you into the Hospital, the doctors had put you on a stretcher and put an oxygen mask onto your face, if Robyn hadn't found you, you could have died. Robyn didn't want to think of the fact that you could have died, she only wanted to think good thoughts, but right now there was nothing good happening.

“ Doctors are doing their best to keep her alive, but they can't say for sure she's going to make it.” Now everyone's hearts had shattered.

Robyn remembered what the doctors said _“ Attempted Suicide”_ but Robyn knew you would never do that...right? Attempted suicide wouldn't explain the gunshot by your lower intestine, “ _Ruptured,”_ The nurse announced and Robyn just couldn't believe anything right now. Not when her friend was on the verge of dying.

Xanthe and Samantha felt like their whole world had stopped. They tried to process everything the nurse said but they just didn't want to believe it. Hush was nowhere in sight. Xanthe remembered that once the Grimm attack was done, you came to the base for the blueprints on Hush also turning into a gun, she gave them to you and then you left. And that was the last she saw of you until... _this..._ happened.

The Nurse continued to talk about your condition, Xanthe didn't want to listen but she had too as your guardian. “ Whatever happened, both of her legs are broken, her wrist is broken in 4 places, 1 broken rib, and she has a severe head injury. Her Aura is broken but there's something else, half of her aura is...gone. It's like she never had a full Aura.” Can your heart break over 4 times? Because that's what just happened to everyone in the room.

Part of your Aura stolen? 

“ How much of it is gone?” Zedd asked and the Nurse let out a sad sigh, “ 93% of it is gone. _If_ she wakes up, she’ll have to regenerate a whole new Aura on her own. “

Xanthe was going to find whoever did this to you. Well... _if_ someone did this to you...but she would _kill_ whoever, and the first person in her thought on why it could have been an attempted suicide, was Marrow.

Xanthe didn't want to believe you tried to commit suicide, but if the Doctors and Nurses insisted, then she had no choice, but to believe.

The Nurse soon ran back to the surgery room that you were in. “ Should we call her friends?” Samantha asked them Xanthe sat back down in her chair and put her hand on her forehead and let out a shaky breath, “ We don't have Qrow or Oscar’s numbers to call them, I tried calling Pietro and Willow but no response. And the Doctors won't believe us that she knows General Ironwood.” A tear rolled down her cheek.

“ I do.” Xanthe looked up and she made a sigh or relief to see a Trauma Surgeon she knew, you knew him too, you even told Jaune about him. “ Kai!” Xanthe cried out and hugged him, “ Hey Kai!” Robyn waved at her old friend and he gave a wave back, “ You know him?” Xanthe asked and she nodded, “ I was on a team with him and Clover when we did first aid.” Robyn explained and Xanthe made a hum of realization then sat back down.

“ I overheard that Y/N was here so I decided to come find you all, I'll try calling General Ironwood.” He said and gave them all a reassuring smile then walked to a receptionist's desk.

Kai called but there was no one on the other end, he sighed and hung up, “ No answer.” Everyone groaned.

Xanthe’s eyes lit up, “ TEAM FNKI!” She yelled and everyone flinched then their eyes all widened in realization, “ I'm calling them right now!” Samantha said then pulled out her scroll.

* * *

“ Kobalt, hot chocolate is not a type of soup!” Neon said as she walked- or rollerbladed- beside her team, “ It is too!” He responded. Neon was about to respond until her scroll started ringing, “ Oh, it's Samantha!” When they got to their dorm, she answered the call.

“ What's up?” She asked joyfully but this was not a time to be joyful. She put her on speaker so the rest of her team could hear.

_“ It's Y/N! She's at a hospital and in surgery, you need to get General Ironwood!”_ Team FNKI all widened their eyes, “ Yo, let’s go!” Flynt said and they all ran through the halls of the academy to General Ironwoods’ office. Samantha told them the Hospital's name and everything as they ran to his office.

“ GENERAL IRONWOOD!” Neon didn't even hesitate to yell his name and push the door open. He flinched, “ Team FNKI! To what do I owe this...lovely?...visit.” 

“ It's Y/N! She's in a hospital down in Mantle!” Ivori cried out and the General immediately stood up, “ Why?” He asked, “ We don't know, her friend told us that she was in surgery.” Neom said and now the General was worried but he had to stay calm in front of his students, “ Thank you. I'll go see what is happening.” Team FNKI didn't want to leave but they had too. 

When the door closed, the General immediately reached for his earpiece, “ Clover, I need your team, Team RWBY, JNR, Oscar and Qrow at the landing area, immediately.” 

_“ If I may ask sir, what for?”_

“ Y/N is in the hospital.” 

_“ Crap, see you in 5 sir.”_

It was 2 am now, no one was going to be up but Clover was going to wake up everyone if you were in the hospital.

* * *

“ They just informed General Ironwood.” Samantha said as she read a text from Neon and everyone nodded.

“ This is gonna be a great reunion.” Robyn mumbled. She did NOT like Clover anymore. The word would be hate actually.

Team RWBY, General Ironwood, The Ace-ops and Co finally got to the hospital, it was pretty hard to stay hidden when he was literally the GENERAL and accused of murder.

“ Where is she?” Qrow walked up to Xanthe, “ She's in emergency surgery right now.” She plainly replied and kept looking at the floor.

“ Who are you?” General Ironwood asked, referring to Team XMAS. Xanthe just stared at the floor and kept sitting down, Samantha stood up, “ We're her guardians.” She pointed to Xanthe.

“ Guardians?” He asked in disbelief and Samantha nodded.

The Nurse came back into the waiting room. “ Oh great, there are more of you now.” She rolled her eyes, “ She's out of her surgery, you can go see her in that room over there.” The nurse pointed to a room down the hall.

Vine noticed Fiona and she gave him a sheepish smile, “ Hey Vine..” She yelped when someone was finally hugging her, it was Vine. “ I'm so sorry for ignoring you for so many years.” He whispered and Fiona hugged him back.

Xanthe looked up but then her eyes set on someone else other than the Nurse. A dog Faunus.

_“ You..”_ She got up then walked towards her brother and her eyes shimmered gold, Samantha noticed, “ WAIT XANTHE STOP!” She yelled but it was too late as she already activated her semblance.

When using her semblance, her eyes shimmer gold and if you just look deeply into them, then you're affected by her Semblance. Marrow was trapped in the eyes and he felt dizzy, “ What…” he breathed out then collapsed to the floor, “ Marrow!” Clover cried out and kneeled down beside him, “ What did you do?” Blake asked.

But they didn't get a response, since Xanthe walked to the hospital room you were in.

“ She used her Semblance.” Samantha kneeled down by Marrow and brushed the bangs out of his face as he was scrunching up in discomfort. “ What's her semblance?” Ruby asked and Sam sighed, “ Mind Trauma. She can make him relive one of the most traumatizing moments he's ever been through. I'm just afraid if she chose...what I think she chose.” Clover looked at her with concern all over his face, “ Which is?” She closed her eyes and sadness washed over her, “ The day his parents died. “

Clover knew how that day was one of the most traumatizing moments for Marrow, the day he saw his parents die, he knew it would never leave his mind.

* * *

_Marrow hated his school in Mistral, his 7-year old self was constantly bullied for just being a Faunus. They'd pull his tail or call him names, and no matter how many times his parents switched him from school to school, nothing changed. Atlas may have been one of the kingdoms where Faunus are hated the most, but Mistral was just as bad._

_When he came back from school he flopped onto his bed and cried into his pillow._

_“ Marrow?” He heard his mother come into his room and sit on his bed, she pulled him away from the pillow and pulled him into her embrace._

_“ Mama they hate me!” He said in between his cries but then started giggling when his mother started tickling him._

_When she stopped, instead of wiping Sad tears from his eyes, they were tears of laughter._

_“ Did you know that the brothers were Faunus?” His mother asked and he gasped in awe, “ They were?” He asked and she chuckled and nodded, “ No one wants to believe it, but the God Of Light had deer antlers, and the God Of Darkness had-“ She gasped when the alarms of their village went on. Grimm._

_She picked up Marrow and ran out of his room to find her husband already getting a few arrows for his longbow, “ Arnold!” He turned around, “ We need to get to the safe house!”_

_“ Mama? What’s happening?” She looked at the little boy in her arms, “ Everything will be alright!” She assured him. She started running out of the house, her husband at her side and shooting a few arrows at Beowolves. As his father ran off to fight more, his mother screamed after being slashed by a Grimm and dropped Marrow._

_Marrow woke up to screaming, houses in the village on fire and smoke everywhere. He looked to his right and saw his mother lying there, blood all over her. “ Mama!” He kept shaking her but no response, she wasn’t breathing, “ Mama!” He yelled and started sobbing._

_He heard a grunt a few feet away from him and crawled into the open from under the broken house. It was his father, he watched as his father shot an arrow at a very big Ursa but it wasn’t enough, and Marrow saw his father in the Ursas mouth, his father screamed then everything went quiet._

_“ PAPA!” Marrow screamed and sobbed, it caused the attention of the Ursa and it walked slowly towards him._

_He started shaking and more tears went down his cheeks, the Ursa started running at him and he screamed, “ STAY!” his voice echoed and suddenly the Ursa stopped, “ Huh?” Then the roof of a house broke off and fell onto the Ursa then it turned into black dust._

“ Be strong, be brave, and never lose hope.” His father always told him.

_He heard whimpering and turned around to find a girl under a broken house, she was shaking and there was some blood on her, yet something made him think it wasn’t hers. He walked towards her. He had to be brave, strong and to never lose hope._

_“ What’s your name?” He asked the shaking girl, she was a deer Faunus, she didn’t reply, “ Well my name is Marrow.” She looked up at him and gave a small smile, “ I-I’m Starr.” She whispered, “ Nice to meet you Starr.”_

_They were inseparable ever since, about 2 years later when they moved from foster home to foster home, they reached Vale, and were adopted by the Renald Family._

* * *

You weren’t the only one at the mine that day with Starr, you were also with Marrow, and she saved you both.

Marrow woke up, gasping for breath and already crying, “ Marrow!” Clover hugged him tightly and Marrow cried into his shoulder, “ Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay buddy.” Clover rubbed his back and the room filled with Marrow’s sobs.

Soon everyone joined in the hug, “ Where’s Y/N?” He asked and Clover chuckled, “ Even after you relive your Trauma, you're still worried for others.” He then pointed to a room down the hall and Marrow immediately stood up and walked to the room, everyone else following. 

When Marrow was about to enter the room, Clover put a hand on his shoulder to stop him, “ When you were uh, asleep, we got some bad news…” By the look on Clover’s face, Marrow knew what it was.

Everyone gasped when they saw you. Bandaids, tubes, bruises and scars were all over you, you were connected to an IV. Marrow’s breath hitched just at the sight, you weren’t wearing what a normal patient usually wore, because all the cotton which had bandaids on top of your stomach to stop the blood couldn’t be covered. But, it didn’t matter anymore... because it couldn’t save you.

Zedd would have jumped when Oz came into the room, but his focus was on you.

Oz couldn’t believe what was happening, you looked just like Amber. You had a white tube top and a white skirt, it was only because of everything connected to your stomach that you couldn’t have a hospital gown. But that didn’t matter anymore….you were gone.

_“_ I’ll leave you all to say your goodbyes.” A doctor said then left and now everyone was in tears.

Willow soon came in and her breath hitched, “ Oh my gods..” she breathed out and widened her eyes in horror and put a hand over her mouth.

It was a pretty big hospital room, it fit Team XMAS, the Huntresses, The Ace-ops, a damn dog, Winter, Qrow, Team RWBY, Team JNR, Oscar, James and Willow.

Willow held Oscar close as he started crying.

Marrow walked up to you, tears already streaming down his cheeks. Xanthe watched as he did and took a step forward but then Samantha put an arm in front of her so she couldn’t take any more steps. “ Let him.” She whispered and Xanthe hesitated but then nodded.

Marrow was gonna find whoever the fuck did this to you and kill them.

James on the other hand though, believed it was an attempted suicide after seeing all the scars on your arm.

Jaune put a hand on Marrow’s shoulder then went to go stand by Ren and Nora, Nora was crying into Ren’s chest and he held her close.

Marrow held your hand, “ I-I’m so sorry..” he whispered, “ If I just stayed with you, then this would have never happened..” he paused and started sobbing, a few of the tears landing on you, “ I-I love you.” 

Suddenly the IV started beeping again, and Marrow looked up at it then gasped. “ WE GOT A PULSE!” One of the doctors yelled then a bunch of them came in and told everyone to leave.

It wasn’t until an hour later, when the same nurse came into the waiting room, everyone looked up at her and she smiled. “ It was a close one, but she’s alive, and in a Coma.” Everyone made a small sigh of relief but they were still worried, “ I suggest you all leave, visiting hours ended well, hours ago. Though starting tomorrow, you are all an exception to stay after hours.”

No one could sleep that night as they were too worried. It was like the joy had drained from all of them, and sadness replaced it. Marrow especially couldn’t sleep.

Harriet, Clover and Qrow all sat in the living room since they couldn’t sleep.

“ I can’t believe it.” Harriet whispered and shook her head, “ I said all those horrible words to her and now she’s on the verge of dying.” 

“ I feel horrible too.” Clover and Qrow said in unison, “ What if the last thing she remembers is us just yelling at her when she wakes up?” Qrow asked and Clover wiped some tears from his eyes.

“ Hopefully Jaune can try healing her.” Clover murmured.

Everyone was worried for your health, but they weren’t that worried for your safety since General Ironwood had placed a bunch of Atlesian Knights outside of the hospital.

Though...a lot can happen in one night


	41. A hospital visit.

Jaune, Clover and Marrow went to the hospital in the morning, none of them had missions and the General was now allowing everyone to leave the Academy.

“ Jaune, Can you use your Aura amp?” Marrow asked and the Amplifier nodded then pulled up a chair beside your bed and his hands rested on your stomach, though no Aura showed.

“ We told the others, but we didn’t tell you.” A doctor came into the room, “ Tell us what?” Clover asked and the doctor sighed, “ 93% of her Aura is gone, and not just like a broken Aura, it’s just _gone._ As if someone stole it.” Now everyone was really, really worried.

“ Can you tell us everything that happened?” Clover asked but the doctor shook his head, “ Her Guardians would have to give us permission.” 

“ The 2 girls?” James then came into the room, “ General Ironwood.” Marrow and Clover saluted and if you were awake, you would have just rolled your eyes. Even the doctor rolled his eyes but then the doctor nodded, “ Can you tell me their names?” James asked but before your doctor could respond, Marrow did, “ Xanthe Renalds and Samantha Irwenic.” 

“ How do you know them?” James asked, “ From when I was in the White Fang.” Marrow responded and the General’s confusion just grew, “ How would Y/N know people in the White Fang?”

If James was asking that, then Marrow knew that you hadn’t told them. He shrugged, “ Dunno.” 

“ Their supposed to be here later so I can discuss Miss L/N’s health, and how much they’re gonna have to pay for this.” The Doctor then left.

Marrow held your hand during the whole conversation and he wouldn’t let go, he felt tears in his eyes but then giggled when a dog started licking his face, he looked to the right.

“ Mochi!” At least there was some happiness in Marrow. “ Isn’t his name Oz?” Willow was now here, “ Oz?” James asked and Oz tensed up, “ Yea, I remember at the Election Party when Y/N called him Oz.” Willow was about to screw some shit up. “ She probably said that on accident.” Was James just oblivious?

Willow rolled her eyes and sat on the last chair. She heard the dog whine and then jump onto the hospital bed, he was careful not to hit you, and he laid beside you. Willow smiled at the sight. 

Clover checked the time, “ Marrow, Jaune, we have our mission.” They all stood up then left the hospital room. It was just Willow and James now. “ Willow-“

“ What are you planning, General?” She asked. James remembered when him and Willow were best friends growing up, gods what happened between them? Now she won’t even call him by his first name. “ I’m not planning anything.” 

“ Mhm.” She raised an eyebrow up in disbelief, “ You're hiding something, and I don’t trust my daughters with you in that Academy.” He moved back a little when Willow got closer and there was a sudden harshness in her voice that made him scared, “ I know when you’re up to something, I’ve known you for 40 years so if you do anything bad to Y/N then I swear to the brothers that I will chop your head off and force feed it to the damn dog.”

Oz’s head jerked up and now he was afraid.

She finally stepped away from him and smiled, “ Have a good day!” She said happily then left the room and James was TERRIFIED. How could someone switch from being so harsh and scary to so nice?!

“ Miss Renalds! Miss Irwenic! It’s good to see you.” James heard the doctor say from outside the room, he took a peek out and saw the 2 same ladies and the Doctor leading them into an office.

_They seem too young to be her guardian._ He thought then hummed when an idea popped up into his head.

* * *

“ In Miss L/N’s condition, I don’t think she’ll be able to make it.” The Doctor said and Samantha’s whole world just stopped, but Xanthe wouldn’t take it.

“ Y/N is a strong and independent woman, you don’t know her like we do, I know she will make it.” Xanthe needed to stay strong, it’s what her mother always told her.

The doctor nodded, “ Okay, we will try our best to keep her alive.” 

Xanthe and Samantha decided to walk into your hospital room and then they found the one and only, General Ironwood. “ General Ironwood.” There was a sudden harshness to Xanthe’s voice that made James flinch, “ You’re her guardians, correct?” They both nodded.

“Let me pay for everything. And help her get better.”

They both looked up at him, “ That’s very nice of you General Ironwood but you really don’t have too.” Xanthe said

“ And why is that?”

When she didn’t answer the question, he smirked, “ I can pay for everything, I care for Y/N as much as you do. At least let me help.” James was a very caring person, he felt bad on what happened during the Gala so he wants to help. He wants to see you fight again. 

“ Xanthe, maybe we should let him help, we can’t use the White Fang’s money without Y/N’s consent.” Samantha whispered. Xanthe really didn’t trust General Ironwood but Samantha did have a point.

“Fine. We’ll inform the doctors that you’ll be the one in charge of her health.” They then stood up and left the room, Xanthe leaving a ‘ What are you up to?’ Glance at James.

James walked by the hospital bed, “ I can’t wait to see you back up and fighting again.” He smiled then looked at Oz who was on the bed too and gave him scratches behind his ear then left the room. He reached for his earpiece, “ I want someone as a guard for Y/N, and since it seems like you and Y/N are very close, I guarantee you’ll be perfect. “ He said.

Marrow? A guard?

_“ Sir, would I still be going on missions?”_

“ Oh, of course!” Marrow made a sigh of relief.

_What is he up to?_ Oz thought.

Oz had to find out what happened. You were under the General’s care now and it’s only been maybe 8 hours since you were admitted into the hospital. Oz trusted James, he knew you would be safe in his care, but there was something wrong that Oz couldn’t place his finger on. But Oz cared for you, and he would do whatever it took to keep you safe. And plus, James was a big sap but he hid it very well.

* * *

A few hours later, Ruby came in.

“ Hey Y/N.” She smiled sheepishly and sat on a chair beside your hospital bed and took a hold of your hand, “ Today was _awesome!_ We all had to go on a mission in one of the mines and we had a run in with some like REALLLYYY long snake Grimm thing and I got to use my silver eyes! I think training with Maria really helps, it gets easier the more she train’s me!” She said happily but then her face fell as she looked at every scar and bruise.

“ I really miss us talking, y’know? Remember how at Beacon when I used to tell you about everything after classes and we’d walk in the gardens? I really miss that.” She squeezed your hand but not hard since she didn’t want to hurt you. “ General Ironwood told us that you're under his care now. You're in good hands.” She was rubbing her thumb in circles on your palm.

“ Yang’s really sorry, she wants to come visit but she’s just scared, she takes back what she said to you that day. “ Ruby gave a sad chuckle, “ You’ve only been here for what, 9 hours? And I already miss you? We didn’t see each other for maybe 7 months once!”

“ I think I’m going to tell General Ironwood the truth.” Oz’s head jerked up and Ruby chuckled, “ I’ll only tell him that Salem can’t be killed, but I’ll still keep the secret about the lamp and say we used the last question to find out the truth.” Oz sort of calmed down from that.

Your face scrunched up in discomfort and it worried Ruby and Oz. Oz looked at you then Ruby. _If she will tell the truth, then I should at least do too._

_“ Ruby?”_

Ruby yelped when there was a sudden voice in her head and after a moment, she recognized it.

_“ Professor Ozpin?! Wha-How-“_

_“ Long story, but I’m the dog.”_

Ruby looked at the dog beside you, _“ WHAT.”_

_“ I am so sorry, Ruby, for lying- for everything. I-“_

“ No.” Ruby smiled and shook her head, “ I’m sorry. After seeing Marrow have to relive his own trauma, I made you relive your own trauma too and I didn’t even know. I’m so sorry Oz. You were only trying to protect us.” She whispered and Oz smiled, _“ Let’s head back to the Academy, I want to be there when you tell James..and I’d also like to reveal myself to everyone else now.”_

Ruby and Oz soon left the room then ran into the General, “ Oh! General Ironwood! I was just coming to talk to you about something.”

“ Of course, but do you mind if I do something first?” He glanced at your hospital room door and Ruby followed his gaze, “ No, not at all!” She responded and he smiled then went into your room and closed the door.

Oz followed him into the room and James sat down on one of the couches in the room and Oz sat on the open space beside him. He chuckled, “ You know, I was going to ask you to be my protege.” He gave a sad smile, “ Not going actually, once you wake up, I _will._ You're a wonderful person Y/N, and a very good Huntress. You make very good choices and you would be a wonderful leader one day. And I was also going to ask you something else…”

Oz smiled. He really was a sap.

“ I would also like you to be an Operative.” Oz’s dog eyes widened. If you became an Operative, that means you would have to stay in Atlas…

He sighed, “ I know you, Y/N, I know you wouldn’t leave everyone. But when Robyn said she found you all beaten up with pain killers and you had to get a stomach pump because you had alcohol with them, I don’t know what to believe other than the fact that you _tried_.” Well Robyn did also find you bleeding out like crazy- 

He gave out a sad sigh, “ But if someone did this to you, then I will find them.” His voice was harsh. “ Ruby.” He called her in and she soon entered and sat on one of the chairs from the other side of the bed. “ Do you know any possible enemies that Y/N has?” James asked and Ruby rolled her eyes, “ I don’t know how she has so many!” That worried James.

“ Names?” He asked and pulled out his scroll. 

“ Harriet’s old boyfriend, Mateo Santiago.” He wrote the name down but he wasn’t a Huntsman so it wasn’t likely that he could do that to you. But James knew that you are easily attacked when distracted. 

“ Cain Cera. He died after the Fall of Beacon, though.”

“ May Alcott.” James remembered who that was. He sent you and Elm on a mission to a dance club so you could both arrest her since she was selling drugs and stealing a few Amity supplies. Apparently she was let out of jail 2 days ago because well, she was rich. Like _loaded._ James added her to the list.

“ Tyrian Callows.” James remembered when you had told everyone about your dream and Salem told you that her people were here. “ Tyrian Callows should be dead.” He didn’t believe you when you told him about the dream and that Tyrian was one of Salem’s people. You just didn’t say that you had a run in with him on the way to Mistral. No one did.

“ He isn’t. When we were on our way to Mistral, he attacked us and Y/N was able to hold him off until Qrow came. I wonder how she even knew he was gonna come…” She trailed off and James cleared his throat so he could bring her back to the bigger picture. “ Oh sorry! Yea he attacked her and they said some... _things…_ to each other which totally wasn’t her saying, “ I will choke you to death if you take her.” And he just giggled and now they hate each other.” James blinked rapidly at her and nodded his head, “ Okay..” he was definitely adding him to the list.

Qrow then came in, “ He was such a dick, gave me a new damn scar.” 

“ Uncle Qrow! Language!” 

He chuckled and sat beside his niece, “ Sorry Kiddo.” He ruffled her hair.

James reached for his earpiece, “ Winter, Tyrian Callows is alive and is a possible suspect. If he is here, I need you to put a warrant out for him.”

_“ Yes sir.”_

He cleared his throat then looked at Ruby and Qrow and saw that she was whispering something to him then Qrow widened his eyes and looked at the dog.

“ What did you want to tell me, Ruby?” James asked and she chuckled nervously, “ Well..”

And Ruby told him _everything_ about Jinn, and that Salem couldn’t be killed. Though she lied about one thing and said they used up the last question to find out the truth. Oz then revealed himself to James and it was an... _awkward_...conversation.

James knew that these kids chose to be a part of this impossible war, and that they weren’t stepping out of it. No matter what, he was going to care and protect these kids, no matter what cost. But he couldn’t protect one kid...and now that one kid was in a Coma, fighting mentally for her life.


	42. Interrogation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mantle is in Chaos.

A week had passed. You still didn’t wake up.

  
Clover and Qrow continued to go on their dates every single day after missions, though they couldn’t use the diner after hours. And they’d also make time to come visit you, together.

Ozpin revealed himself to everyone and it was a pretty awkward week but everyone had forgiven Oz. 

...And the warrant for Tyrian Callows had gone out, and Willow was able to help as she showed Weiss a video of Arthur Watts talking with her father and rigging the election.

Jacques Schnee was then arrested for committing treason and being an accessory to murder. The people who died that night, their blood was on his hands. James was happy to see Jacques in jail, though Willow didn’t take it well. Weiss had a talk with Whitley- which wasn’t a nice talk- and he informed her that Willow locked herself in her room.

She was admitted into the hospital after Whitley had found her passed out in her room and he called Winter. She had to get a stomach pump from alcohol poisoning.

Soon a warrant for Tyrian AND Arthur went out and there were a bunch of Mantle Citizens calling and saying that they saw a man with a weird moustache and a brown coat with a man who had a scorpion tail.

They tried to flee but Arthur was caught and taken to jail but before he was taken, Arthur turned off the heating grid, and now Pietro and Will Scarlatina are working on trying to get the heating grid back up and running.

Tyrian wasn’t arrested though, yet he also didn’t flee. General Ironwood came up with a plan to have Robyn lure Tyrian out into the open and Qrow and Clover would follow in the shadows. The plan worked, “ Sorry Callows, I would have pummeled you on my own, but the General insisted I share.” Robyn was always one for the cool catch phrases.

“ You're not the only one with a grudge.” Clover really didn’t like Tyrian, in fact he wanted to maybe kill him. It wasn’t just because Tyrian could have possibly- no, Clover fully believed that he was the reason for your hospitalization, but it was also because he hurt the man he was dating- or could he say boyfriend? Eh, a little too soon. 

Speaking of that man, “ You’ll both have to get in line.” Gods if you were there, you would have said, “ It’s 4 against 1 Callows, how are you gonna play this out?” Of course you wanted a fun line too. But you couldn’t…

And of course, Tyrian chose to play it out with fighting. Thankfully, Robyn gave the final blow and he collapsed to the floor and she kicked him in the face. Clover remembered that fierceness. 

Marrow, Clover, Robyn and Harriet were supposed to interrogate him later. It would have just been Robyn if Tyrian didn’t try to escape 5 times, and Marrow had to use his semblance to make him freeze then Harriet had to bind him down. They used 4 damn bolas. And Clover only has to go because he’s the captain, and they need his luck.

James couldn’t believe what was happening, it was chaos in Mantle! How did he not figure out that it was Watts? He designed Mantle’s entire security system which meant he was a perfect suspect for it...he just didn’t pay attention to Mantle at all.

Maybe Nora was right, he should be paying attention to Mantle more and trying his best to help. He would definitely need her advice on how to help Mantle. Mantle was hurting, and he was oblivious to it, but now he can send supplies on fixing the outer wall. 

You were finally in stable condition to at least be moved, you were actually in a normal hospital gown now- which you would have hated if you woke up- and James moved you to an Atlas hospital. if Watts and Tyrian were able to get into Mantle and passed the borders, then you weren’t safe in Mantle.

At least they finally caught Tyrian, the one who was the reason for your hospitalization.

Marrow sat on the chair closest to your hospital bed and held your hand, “ We caught Tyrian! He will never hurt you, ever again.” His thumb rubbed circles on your palm.

“ it was a miracle that you lived. If you died, I probably would have cried for months.” He gave a sad chuckle then he heard the door open.

He looked and- oh fuck.

“ Marrow.” Xanthe sat on the chair beside him and he didn’t look her into the eyes.

It was minutes of silence, the only sound was your IV beeping slowly. Marrow broke the silence, “ I’m-“

“ I’m sorry.” 

He gasped in surprise and looked his sister into the eyes, they didn’t shimmer gold so at least she wasn’t using her semblance. “ I’m sorry. I made you relive the day your parents died.” She took a hold of his free hand, “ Your my...little _brother,_ Marrow. I told you that even if you did something horrible, I would never stop loving you and caring for you-“ She yelped when he was suddenly hugging her. She hesitated but then she hugged him back, “ Forgive me?” She asked and Marrow broke the hug with a mischievous grin on his face.

“ Sing the song you used to sing when I needed to calm down.” She groaned, why would Marrow ask her to do that? “ Marrow, I probably don’t even remember that song.” She said in an annoying tone but Marrow wouldn’t take it, “ I know you do~” he sang and she gave an annoying sigh.

“ Fine.” 

She took a second to remember the song.

_I’m your sister_

_Your my brother_

_We stick together_

_Through thick and thin_

_No matter what I do_

_I’m always stuck with you_

_And when trouble_

_Comes our way_

_I know my brother_

_Will save the day_

_Wherever you may be_

_You're always stuck with me_

_When your feeling_

_Sad and blue_

_Call my name_

_And I’ll find you_

_We have our bond_

_That’s tied and true_

_You and me_

_Me and you_

_Two by Two._

“ Now I forgive you.”

“ Gods, you're the worst.”

Marrow rested his head on his sister's shoulder, “Isn’t this the girl that used her semblance on you?” Clover came into the room and sat on the couch on the other side of the bed, “ Yea, but she’s also my sister.”

Clover almost choked on his spit, “ Your sister?!” Why didn’t Marrow tell him?!

Marrow nodded his head, “ I thought we told each other everything.” Clover remembered the day he and Marrow decided to always tell each other everything. They were like best friends. Clover loved Marrow like a brother. Ever since the day he took him to Atlas, he was like a brother to him. 

Marrow opened his mouth to speak,“ I-“

“ Marrow! Clover!” Robyn was leaning against the door frame , “ We have to interrogate Tyrian.” Marrow and Clover stood up and Marrow gave his sister a little goodbye wave then left. 

* * *

Robyn really didn’t want to touch the serial killer's hand, but she had no choice if she wanted to find out the truth.

“ Are you the one who’s been killing Mantle Citizens?” Robyn asked and her Aura showed on Tyrian and her hand.

“ Yep!” He giggled and Marrow wanted to punch the bitch, so, so bad. Same with Clover. The Aura changed from purple to green and Robyn shook her head in disgust. 

“ Is Arthur Watts the one hacking Mantle security drones?” She asked.

“ Yep!” 

“ Maybe let’s move on to the more important question?” Marrow whispered and Robyn nodded. 

“ Did you attack Y/N L/N?”

“ No.” The Aura was green.

Everyone widened their eyes. But...it had to be him! 

“ Though I wish I was the one! I do have a score to settle with her!” He giggled and it stayed green.

“ Shut. The. Fuck. Up.” Harriet hissed and came into the interrogation room then sat down beside Marrow.

“ Do you know who attacked Y/N?” Marrow asked.

“ Nope!

“ Did you know that someone was going to attack Y/N?”

“ Yep!”

“ Damnit!” Marrow slammed his hands on the desk. He felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned to Harriet, “ We will find who did this to her.” She assured and it calmed him down. 

Everyone was confused, he knew someone was going to attack you but he doesn’t know who?

“ Do you know what they look like?” Robyn asked.

“ Nope! I only know it was a man.” It stayed green and now Robyn was getting pissed. She let go of his hands and quickly got hand sanitizer since she has NO idea where those hands have been, other than on blood.

The 4 of them left the interrogation room, “ This is so confusing.” That’s kinda obvious, Clover.

“ He knows that someone was going to attack Y/N, but he doesn’t know who, yet he knows it was a man? This is some confusing shit.” Clover didn’t even call Robyn out for his language, plus he did say ‘ Fuck off’ to you before you went into your coma, so…and he too, was confused.

“ No need to speak the obvious, Robyn and Clover.” Marrow said and Robyn just rolled her eyes.

Suddenly, the alarms in the military base started blaring. 

They all ran to the interrogation room and Tyrian was gone, “ Oh you have got to be kidding me!” Robyn yelled and Harriet used her semblance to run down the hall, “ DOWN HERE!” She yelled from the end of the hall and everyone ran towards her.

Tyrian was just running and giggling, hurting any Atlesian Soldiers who tried to restrain him. 

“ STAY!” Marrow pointed then snapped his fingers and Tyrian froze in place.

Harriet got _6_ BOLAS to bind him down, he _giggled._ Clover hated that damn sound, he was glad he didn’t bring Qrow or else another damn fight would happen. And he didn’t want to remind Qrow of the time Tyrian hurt him.

“ Put him in Stockade A.” Clover said to the Atlesian soldiers and they nodded then grabbed Tyrian.

“ What time is it?” Clover asked and rubbed his temples in frustration, “ 6 pm.” Robyn responded and Harriet’s eyes lit up, “ I gotta go!”

“ Where are you going?” Marrow asked Harriet, “ So since I found my mom, she’s looking for a babysitter for her 2 kids and I decided to babysit them. I used a fake name.”

“ That’s kind of like stalking your mom..” Robyn said.

“ I just want to know what she’s like! Her personality and yea!” Then Harriet ran off.

* * *

Harriet found out her mom was a writer, and her 2 kids were named Annie and Will. Her mom owned a pretty big house in Atlas, and that she would lock herself in her room when she needed to write a few pages of the book she was writing. Her husband would be at work while she wrote so that’s why she needed a babysitter.

“..So, who’s your dad?” Harriet asked the 2 children who wouldn’t stop playing games on their scrolls, “ His name is Leo Sanchez.” The little girl answered.

“ I’m hungry.” The boy said. Harriet rolled her eyes and walked into the ridiculously big kitchen and looked through a few cabinets to find food. She yelped when she heard a sudden voice, “ How’s everything going?” Her mom asked and Harriet chuckled nervously, “ It’s going great!”

“ Do you mind staying 1 more hour? I’m so close to finishing this one page.” Harriet checked the time, 7pm, Yep, she could stay 1 more hour. “ Of course!” Her mom gave a sigh of relief, “ Thank you!”

An hour passed and her mom was finally done. 

Her mom was looking through her wallet to give Harriet some money but then her daughter came, “ Mommy, read us a bedtime story!”

Her mom looked at Harriet, “ Do you mind..?”

“ No, I can wait!” 

Harriet leaned against the door frame, she watched and listened as her mom read a fairytale called ‘ Beauty and the Faunus’ to her kids.

No one had ever read a bedtime story to Harriet in her entire life, she didn’t even know she needed it until now. A tear streamed down her cheek as she listened in.

“ Are you okay?” Her mom asked, her voice soft and genuine, “ Yea.” Harriet sniffed, “ No ones ever read a bedtime story to me before.”

“ Oh…why don’t you go freshen up dear? The bathroom is right over there.” Her mom pointed to a bathroom down the hall and Harriet walked towards it. Leaving her scroll and everything else on a table.

Her mom was getting the money that she would give to her but then she stopped when Harriet’s scroll rang.

She looked at who was calling Harriet and her breath hitched.

It was Harriet’s dad.

_Is she..? No.._

It had _‘Dad’_ written on it and even showed her dad's icon.

She didn’t know if she should answer it or not- it stopped ringing when Harriet came back.

_She’s my daughter.._

Harriet was about to pick up her scroll until her mom grabbed her wrist. It was all so clear to her now, she looked just like her, the hair and eyes. “ Harriet..?” 

Harriet didn’t know how to respond to that- “ Um who’s-“

“ Your dad called.”

Harriet was screwed.

“ Are you my daughter?”

Harriet hesitated but then nodded and her mom breathed out a laugh and removed her hand from Harriet’s wrist then onto her shoulders, arms, or anywhere. She just found her daughter…

She cupped her face, “ My baby girl..” She felt fresh tears form in her eyes and she hugged her daughter tightly and Harriet hugged back, tears already forming in her eyes.

“ I found my baby girl..”

* * *

It was 10pm, Clover would usually be asleep by now but he wanted to go see you.

He sat down on the chair beside your bed and a tear rolled down his cheek just from the sight of you. “ I can’t believe the last thing I said to you was ‘Fuck off’.” He breathed out a humourless laugh but a sob replaced it.

“ You were right, I do tend to use my semblance a lot.” He was expecting you to say ‘ I told you so’ but you were in a coma, not awake, fighting mentally for your life, and not being able to respond to anything. 

“ Please, wake up.” 

* * *

Yang came in about an hour after Clover left. Screw curfew, she was visiting you.

She held your hand, “ I take it back, I take everything back!” She sobbed, “ Your one of the bestest friends I could ever have!” 

Her throat felt swollen and she stuttered as she tried to speak yet nothing but whimpers and cries came out, “ _Please..”_ She whispered and put her head in her hands and cried into them, _“ Please, wake up.”_ Was all she was able to say until she broke down.

Blake came in and comforted her, “ It’s okay.” She whispered softly, “ She’ll wake up soon. I promise.” She rubbed Yang’s back and Yang rested her head on Blake’s shoulder.

“ What if when she wakes up, she remembers what I said to her? And she’ll just hate me?” Blake played with Yang’s hair which calmed her down. She only allowed Blake, Qrow and Ruby to touch her hair, sometimes you if you were to braid it or brush it.

Blake knew Yang was really sensitive, she just always tried to hide it because she wanted to stay strong for her team, her sister, friends and family. Yang was alone growing up, of course she had Ruby, Qrow and her dad but they weren’t exactly _there_ for her. Blake remembered the day when Yang told her about Raven, about Summer. Tai couldn’t even function properly after all of it, Ruby was too young and Qrow was always on missions for Oz. Yang was alone. 

“ Let’s head back to the Academy. We can have a movie night.” Yang chuckled at the ways Blake always tried to make her feel better, well not tried, they always did work. 

That night some happiness was brought back when Yang and Blake invited everyone to movie night. Even General Ironwood went, “ I wish Y/N could be here.” Weiss mumbled and everyone nodded their heads in agreement. 

Movie night was always different without you. You always chose the best movies, and got the food. But now everything has changed.

Today just wasn’t a good day, wasn’t it? Interrogation didn’t go well, you didn’t wake up yet, and Mantle is in chaos. 

Everyone was wondering why the warrant was posted _now_ for Tyrian Callows and Arthur Watts if they were alive the entire time. So General Ironwood told the truth...sort of...he said that you were attacked and that Tyrian Callows was the reason for your hospitalization. But he wasn’t.

Marrow, Clover, Robyn and Harriet didn’t tell anyone that Tyrian wasn’t the one to attack you, they only told General Ironwood. And he didn’t want to worry the kids that the person who hospitalized you was still out there.

You were the best and strongest fighter out of the group, other than Qrow. Maybe Yang too but only when her semblance is activated is when she grows stronger. They would be worried to find out that someone was able to hurt _you_ when you had your weapon and your Aura was still in you. 

Whoever this was, was a hella good fighter, strong, and had a good semblance. 

James didn’t want to lie to the kids, but he had to say that Tyrian was the one to attack you if the person who actually attacked you was still out there. He didn’t want to worry the kids or the citizens of Mantle.

But the person who attacked you, could be anywhere right now.

Maybe even in the Academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yang is such an interesting character to write.


	43. Awoken.

Another week passed, it was December 28th now. 2 weeks since you were put into a Coma. Everyone was afraid you weren’t actually going to wake up now.

Over the week some stuff happened, like Marrow’s birthday! Everyone insisted on throwing him a party but he refused so he and Clover could interrogate a few people.

Marrow and Clover interrogated any other possible suspects like May Alcott, but she was at her Manor in Atlas the entire time during the Grimm attack. She didn’t like you or Elm, but sympathy washed over her when she found out you were in the hospital.

The Alcott’ were a pretty big family, even richer than James Ironwood and Jacques Schnee themselves. Maybe even richer than anyone in all of Remnant.

Qrow only came 2 times to visit you. He was afraid that he would make your recovery worse if he came because of his semblance. Though 2 nights before, he came to you. He was supposed to get his 1-month sober chip soon, December 31st. But he felt like he didn’t deserve it. He talked about how he was going to tell everyone he relapsed on the day he was supposed to get his 1-week sober chip. 

So he did.

None of the kids took it well, he could never forget all of their disappointed faces, how ashamed they were. He told them that he would never drink again, and he promised he wouldn’t. That seemed to relieve them. They believed him too. And they still told him to keep the chip.

James thinks that the reason you were hurt was some sort of political act against him. The public knew a bit about you, and that you were James’ friend. There were rumours going around that you were another Ace Operative who did James’ dirty work. Some people said you were a couple, though the age gap didn’t make anyone believe those rumours. James fully believed that it was a political act now, especially from all the hate he was getting from the Leader of the White Fang and Mantle.

Oscar stayed the night in the hospital on one of the couches in your hospital room, he didn’t want to be alone. He did have Oz but he wanted to be by your side.

Everyone had to go on a mission in the Tundra at a mine which was infested with hundreds of different types of Grimm. It was so far that there was barely a signal, everyone left at sunrise and wouldn’t be back for a few hours. So that’s why Oscar came.

The couch was nice but he didn’t get much sleep since he kept waking up from nightmares, at least Oz comforted him. He missed the times you hung out everyday, or when you taught him about the history of Remnant, and tickled him or just being there for him.

Oscar overheard the conversation between Clover and the General, that Tyrian wasn’t the one to attack you. He was scared now. Did all of the Ace-ops know about this? He wouldn’t be surprised, since it wouldn’t be the first time adults have lied to him or kept secrets.

Oscar remembered the time back in Argus, when you found him slumped up against a wall out in the garden and he couldn’t sleep. You comforted him or stroked his hair until he could fall asleep. He didn’t want to be treated like a little kid anymore, but it was an exception when it came to you comforting him.

Oscar walked up to your hospital bed and his fingers traced over all the scars on your arms, there was even a pretty big one on your cheek now. Oscar never saw it before, you must have gotten hurt there when you were attacked.

He pulled the couch closer to your hospital bed and laid back down on it, he held your hand and he wouldn’t stop watching to see if you were going to wake up. At one point he fell asleep, but this time he didn’t have nightmares. As if someone was there with him...

* * *

He woke up to his face in the pillow. He made a muffled sigh of relief to know he didn’t have another nightmare, but he also felt a hand on his head, stroking his hair. It was... _familiar._ Soothing. Comforting. He felt this all from someone once.

“ Another nightmare?” Oscar’s heart literally stopped and blood ran through him, he immediately jerked up from the pillow and fresh tears formed in his eyes as he met pink and brown eyes. They were barely opened. 

Oscar wanted to scream in relief, he wanted to cry out in relief. You were awake! You were alive!

“ I- Y-Your awake!” He cried out and squeezed your hand, you tried to squeeze back but you cried out in pain when there was a sudden pain in your wrist and Oscar quickly let go.

“ I'm gonna go get a doctor!” He ran out of the room. Why did you need a doctor?

You looked around, where...where were you? Everything was so _white._ At least that’s what you thought, your eyes were barely opened, you just wanted to close your eyes and sleep. 

“ Ma’am, don’t close your eyes.” You heard a woman’s voice but you could barely hear since your ears were ringing, your head hurt like crazy. You couldn’t move, even if you tried, it was just _pain._ You noticed that your hand was bandaged, white linen all over it that reached to your wrist, it was around your fingers too. You felt numb, so numb that you could only feel the pain. 

You couldn’t move your legs, you couldn’t even move your back. You couldn’t even move _anything._ Only your hand and head was what you could move a little.

You noticed colours in the room which made you want to sit up and open your eyes a little more. You couldn’t sit up but you opened your eyes a bit more wider and saw flowers of different colours, it was like you were in the garden at Beacon academy. Just you were somewhere else.

“ What..” You could barely speak, your throat hurt so bad, it was parched.“ What happened?” You whispered but you started closing your eyes again. “ Ma’am, listen to my voice. Do you remember your name?”

“ Y/N L/N.” You whispered

“ You’ve been in a coma for 2 weeks.” A coma..?

* * *

When Oscar called James and told him the news. James actually _cried_ and went to the hospital as fast as he could.

As he walked to the room, A doctor stopped him.

“ How is she?” James asked, and the doctor made a hum of sadness.

“There are gaps in her memory. We asked if she could tell us what she remembered and all she said was Beacon and Argus. And some cave in Anima. “ The doctor said.

Oscar walked out of the hospital room, “ How is she?” James asked.

Oscar already had tears in his eyes, “ She barely remembers who I am.”

James kneeled and hugged the young boy. “ it’s okay.” He said softly and stroked Oscar’s hair.

“ Try to contact the others.” James broke the hug and Oscar nodded. James walked into your room.

“ General Ironwood?” You weren’t even calling him by his first name…

He sat down on a chair beside you, “ You can call me James, Y/N. How are you feeling?” 

“ Like a ton of bricks just hit my head and a Goliath stomped on me.” James chuckled, even after waking up from a 2-week coma, you were still joking. Well, you were kind of serious, it did feel like that.

“ Gen-James, where am I?” You asked and his breath hitched, “ You’re in Atlas.” he responded.

“ ..What?” You asked in disbelief and you were about to ask another question but James spoke, “ What’s the last thing you remember?” He asked and you closed your eyes to try and remember anything.

“ ..I was in- No, that was 8...years ago? Uhm..” James was more than worried now. 

“ Beacon Falling.” You started shaking and breathing heavily, and your eyesight was blurry. Then the school on fire was back in your mind, friends fighting for their life. It was like you were there again, Coco and Velvet were on the ground beside you after you 3 got hit by a Paladin. 

_“ Y/N!” Coco was shaking you to get up._

_"_ Team BRNZ...Where's team BRNZ?" You asked and looked into his eyes.

_" ROY!!"_

_Roy...was dead. He was taken by a Nevermore and presumed dead._

_May was dead..._

_Brawnz was dead..._

_Nolan was the only one alive..._

_" Ozpin... ~~he's dead,~~ " Jaune said._

_What?_

_~~" Ozpin."~~ _

_Is reincarnated._

_" Y/N." Coco kept shaking you._

“ Y/N! You're having a panic attack, listen to my voice.” You were back in the hospital and James' hands were on your shoulder. 

“ Are you okay?” He asked when you stopped breathing heavily.

You nodded, “ I remember Beacon falling. Team CFVY going to Vacuo. Then there was this one memory that I can’t place my finger on.”

“ Maybe I can help?” James asked.

You shook your head, “ it was in...Anima I think?” It wasn’t much of a question, you were pretty sure it was in Anima.

“ Anything else?” 

“ We were in Argus, and I found Oscar against a house wall in a garden.. When I asked why he was out there, he told me that he had a nightmare. But that’s just it, And Uhm..” You closed your eyes to try and remember and you gasped, “ We were at Haven! WEISS!” You used all your might to try and sit up but cried out in pain and stopped trying, “ Where’s Weiss! Is she..?”

“ She’s on a mission,” James said. A mission, why should we be on a mission?

“ What happened to Weiss at Haven?” James asked.

tears formed in your eyes, “ I- she was impaled by a spear. By _Cinder.”_ You growled at her name.

Impaled? By a spear? James was actually gonna kill someone. He cared for those kids so much now, why hadn’t Weiss ever told him? Did Winter even know? 

“ She’s fine. She’s healed.” You made a sigh of relief and calmed down.

James stood up, he didn’t want to leave you but he wanted to warn the others before they entered the room. “ Do you mind closing the blinds before you leave? It’s so bright.” James chuckled and did as you asked, “ Thank you.” 

James had no idea what he was going to tell the others when they came back from their mission.

* * *

“ We got all the ones on the outside of the mine, now we just need to do the ones on the inside.” Clover panted. He just killed a bunch of Centinels and Beowolves! Qrow was beside him, also panting. “ Bravo? You there?” Clover reached for his earpiece again.

_“ Sorry! Yea, we just got carried away by a Goliath.” Harriet said_

Clover and Qrow both choked on their spit, “ A GOLIATH?! ARE-“

_“ Yep. Ruby used her silver eyes.”_

_“ I saw it from the other side, it was awesome!” Elm joined in on the conversation._

Clover regained his breath and chuckled, “ Alright team, I’ll meet you in the mine. You too, Winter.” Winter was here because there was _so much_ Grimm. They all couldn’t take them on their own, especially because there were a bunch of Goliaths too.

_“ Everyone take caution, this mine is very old. Cause 1 explosion and the whole mine goes down, the dust following. “ Winter’s voice finally appeared on the earpiece._

Clover and Qrow started heading for the mine but Clover stumbled when Qrow grabbed his wrist, “ Are you sure I should come with? My semblance might bring the mine down on us.”Qrow asked and Clover took a hold of both of his hands, “ You know how I feel about your semblance. We really have to work on your self-esteem issue soon.” Qrow chuckled but the question still remained and Clover kissed the corner of Qrow’s mouth, “ Your semblance won’t do anything, the only bad luck that could happen is if Y/N doesn’t wake up.” Qrow widened his eyes and gave Clover a playful push, “ Don’t jinx it!” 

Clover laughed a little, “ Qrow I L-“ Could he say the love word? “ Qrow, you are an amazing person, and I have literally been blessed by the gods to have you with me. Your semblance won’t do anything as long as I’m here.” Clover was really sappy, and cheesy.

_“ Dude, that was so cheesy.”_ Harriet’s voice appeared and Clover could hear snickering then winced when he realized that he was still alive.

_“ Don’t worry, Qrow. Nothing bad will happen!”_ Elm said.

They all met up at the entrance of the mine. There wasn’t much Grimm inside, just Beowolves, centinels and Ursas...okay maybe it was a lot. But then Qrow had shot at the last Ursa but he missed and it hit a Boulder. The Boulder fell on the Ursa and it turned into black dust, but the mine was falling. 

“ I told you!” Qrow yelled. The Boulder falling on the Ursa was Fortune, the mine falling was misfortune.

“ Clover’s right, we really have to work on your self-esteem issue right there!” Marrow said then everyone screamed as the rest of the boulders fell.

Clover coughed, “ Is everyone all right?” He asked. “ Yea.”

_“ Guys, are you okay?”_ Jaune’s voice appeared and Clover reached for his earpiece, _“_ Yep, A little bruised up, but we're fine. Nothing your aura amp can't fix."

Jaune chuckled. _“ There’s a gap that we’re trying to make bigger. Blake and I are coming to you all right now.”_

“ Okay, be careful.” 

It wasn’t long until Blake came out of the shadows with Jaune, he was literally clinging to Blake so he wouldn’t get lost in the mine. _  
_

_We got the gap bigger! You can all fit through it.”_ Ruby said.

“ Follow me.” Everyone started following Blake then they found a gap that led light into the dark mine and they all crawled through it.

When they were back outside, something was wrong, Nora was crying and so were Weiss, Ruby and Yang.

“ What’s wrong?” Elm asked with her voice soft and kneeled down by the 4 girls who were sitting beside the transport. All the Ace-ops started caring for these kids as much as Qrow did and it’s only been almost a month.

“ It’s Y/N!” Ruby yelled and everyone was worried now, they couldn’t tell if they were crying happy tears or sad tears.

“ What happened?!” Marrow was the first to ask.

“ She’s awake!” Nora cried out happily and now everyone had tears of joy forming in their eyes.

Marrow breathed out a laugh, “ Well what are we waiting for? Let’s get back up to Atlas!” Everyone got into the Manta.

Everyone was so excited to see you awake and actually responding.

Though they didn’t know about your memory loss.

And it wasn’t gonna go good for Marrow and Clover.


	44. It’s You.

It was obvious that Marrow would run out of the Manta as fast as he could when they all got to the hospital

“ Marrow, wait!” Xanthe stopped Marrow before he could enter your hospital room.

“ Is she okay- what’s going on? I need to see her!” Xanthe kept her hands on his shoulders so he couldn’t run in.

Everyone was soon outside your room, the Ace-ops, RWBY and JNR, were all panting from running. “ How-“ Jaune paused to keep panting, “ How is he so fast?”

“ He’s faster than Blake!”

“ Wait, Yang, where is Blake?” Jaune asked then everyone looked around, “ I’m right here.” Blake came out of your room and everyone widened their eyes, “ How did you get here before all of us?” Clover asked, “ Dude, I’m a cat.”

Clover walked up to Marrow, “ Let me talk to her.” Marrow hesitated but then nodded and Clover walked into your hospital room and made sure to close the door.

“ You..” Clover heard you whisper something and he turned around to face you. He gave a sigh of relief, “ I’m so happy to see you.”

“ I’m not.” Clover’s face fell at your words.  _ Great, she remembers our argument _ . “ Look, I’m really sorry that I said fuck off to you and-“

“ What do you mean?” You asked and that worried Clover.

“ Don’t you remember our argument?” He asked and you shook your head, “ You took Marrow.” Was the only thing you had to say for Clover to widen his eyes in realization. Memory loss.

“ I’m uh- I’m gonna go.” He said then pointed a thumb over his shoulder and quickly left the room.

Clover closed the door and pressed his back against it,“ Yeah, don’t go in there.” He breathed out and everyone looked at him worried.

“ What’s going on?” Marrow asked.

“I-“

“ Memory loss.” Blake interrupted Clover and he looked at her wide-eyed,  _ “ Dude!”  _ He mouthed and she just shrugged. 

“Though, It’s coming back to her slowly. Like very, very slowly. I think.” Blake added and it added a little relief to everyone, “ But she doesn’t remember much.” then the small amount of relief had left everyone.

The doctor came into the hall outside of your room,“ She’s confused as to where she is. There are gaps in her memory. The last remaining part of her Aura can possibly help, but since there’s not much Aura left, this could possibly be permanent.” Marrow felt like his whole heart had shattered into pieces, he couldn’t even process what was happening right now.

The Happy Huntresses were there too, Fiona was crying and Joanna was on the verge of tears, “ So she won’t remember us.” Robyn breathed out and it just broke The Ace-ops hearts to see their old friends so sad. Harriet went to go comfort Fiona and Elm stood by Joanna.

“ General.” Xanthe walked up to him, “ You're in charge of her condition, so  _ please,  _ promise us you’ll help her get better. No matter what.” Her voice cracked and James felt sympathy for the girl, “ I promise.” That seemed to relieve her a little but he could still see the stress and sadness on her face.

“ If you  _ all  _ go in there. Please don’t make any sudden movements. Must I tell them of all of her injuries?” The doctor turned to Samantha and Xanthe and the 2 girls nodded. “ Both of her legs are broken. She has an extreme spinal cord injury. Her left wrist is broken in 4 different places. 1 broken rib. Her lower intestine was ruptured, it seemed to be from a knife wound. Her right arm is broken, and I think you all know about the severe head injury. “ Everyone’s hearts were just going to jump out right through them. 

“ Oh and 93% of her Aura is gone, like gone gone, like stolen-“

“ We got it doc!” Winter snapped and the Doctor threw his hands up in surrender, “ Gods, Kai is better than him.” Samantha whispered and Xanthe chuckled but the doctor glared at her, “ My semblance is to be able to hear very well.” Everyone winced and the Doctor deadpanned at an embarrassed Samantha then left.

“ I’m gonna go in.” Marrow finally announced and Clover was worried for him.

Marrow reached for the handle but his hand started shaking. What would happen when he went in? To you, you're just gonna see the Marrow who left you, not the Marrow you finally saw again in Atlas. How was he gonna explain everything to you?

He felt a hand on his shoulder, “ I’ll go in with you.” Samantha said and he nodded his head. He still couldn’t move his hand so Samantha opened the door.

Your eyes widened when you saw Marrow. But...but- How? After all this time, he was finally here? Why now? Why after you wake up from a coma? 

Samantha made sure to close the door so no one could hear the conversation.

Why weren’t you mad? It was if you were fine with it. You wanted to be mad, but you just couldn’t...why? Why was this all familiar? Being in Atlas with Marrow?

“ Hey, Y/N.” He whispered and cupped your right cheek and his finger traced over the new scar. You wanted to snap, but this was all so familiar. You leaned into the touch.

“ Marrow..?” You whispered and you saw tears in his eyes, “ Why are you crying? I should be the one crying since I’ve finally found you after 5 years..well more like you found me.” He chuckled then took his hand away from your cheek and held your right hand. 

“ Y/N. I don’t know if Blake told you-“

“ You know Blake?” You asked and Marrow gave a small chuckle, “Yea, I do.” His thumb rubbed circles on your palm. “ I don’t know if she told you, but you're suffering from memory loss right now. You don’t remember the last month.”

You felt dizzy. Your head was hurting now. Memory loss? Was that why when Clover came in you were calm? and it was as if him coming into a room was normal for you?

“ What happened during the last month? I want to hear it from you.” Marrow felt a little relief wash over him. He glanced at Samantha and she left the room.

“ Everything’s fine.” She whispered to Clover and some of the stress had left him.

Marrow told you everything. Getting your Huntress license. Learning how to drive..sort of. Your birthday. Missions. You and Qrow living in the penthouse. He didn’t want to talk about any of the bad things, like you being attacked or the slut-shaming. He also didn’t want to trigger any thoughts about Tyrian. 

“ You know who Clover is, right?” You nodded your head, “ the dude who took you 5 years ago.”

“ Well I wouldn’t really say took, since I chose to go with him.”

“ Mm, good point.”

“ He’s your friend. He’s my friend too. You met him a month ago, so that’s why you don’t remember him.” He paused to laugh a little, “ You went on a mission with him once, you both had to go across ice but then he slipped and you just laughed at him.”

You laughed a little, “That’s something I would laugh at.” Marrow smiled. “ You're kinda a touchy guy.” Marrow realized he was still holding your hand and he quickly let go, “ Ah! Sorry.” He gave an awkward chuckle and you shook your head, “ It’s fine. ..I liked the feeling.” 

Well yea, there were times when you used him as a body pillow. Or walked hand in hand to the Gala.

You reached for his hand again but you could barely move your own hand, so he took it in his own again. Marrow heard the door open, “ General- I mean James!” Marrow looked over to the door and saw General Ironwood, he was also with Willow Schnee.

“ General Ironwood.” Marrow didn’t even stand up, he used his free hand to do a salute and you just rolled your eyes.

Willow’s face fell as she looked at you. James told her that you don’t remember anything from the last month. She sat down on the other side of the bed and James sat down beside her.

  
  


“ Aren’t you...Willow Schnee?” You asked and she chuckled then nodded, “ Yes dear, I met you during this month. Though I have a feeling you don’t remember.” You nodded and she gave a sad sigh.

James was afraid of what your reaction would be when he told you about 93% of your aura being gone, along with most of your semblance. He knew how much you loved being a Huntress, you would have been devastated when you found out. Which is why he’s going to hide it.

“ Y/N, would you like your friends to come in here?” You nodded your head immediately at James’ question, “ I mean  _ all  _ of them. It’s a pretty big room, so it can fit all of them. But I’m talking about Team RWBY, JNR, Oscar, Qrow, The Ace-ops, Ozpin-“

“ Ozpin’s back?” You asked and he nodded, “ He came back during this month.”

The question still remained. It was a lot of people, and knowing team RWBY, it would have been  _ loud.  _ “ I'd love to see them.”

James nodded then left the room to find everyone staring at the room window, “ Can we go see her?” Ruby asked and James nodded but then out a finger up, “ You all need to try and stay quiet. She already has enough of a headache.” Everyone nodded then he put another finger up, “ No one talk about what happened to her, alright?” Everyone made a hum of approval. Then he put a THIRD finger up, “ Her memory is jumping all over the place. It’s an Anima memory then it just skips to Argus.” Everyone glanced at each other, a look of worry mixed with concern in their eyes.

He sighed, “ Alright.”

Ruby ran into the room so fast that she left petals on the floor, “ Ruby!” You yelled happily. You were expecting her to jump on you but she and Oscar sat on the side of your bed. There was a lady with brown hair who put a hand on your back to help you sit up, she looked familiar.

“ I can’t believe you're awake! It’s been 2 weeks since you slipped into a coma and so much has happened and I am so happy to see you!” You could barely manage what Ruby said since she talked too fast and all you heard was literal gibberish. “ So what happened during the 2 weeks?” You asked.

“ Well we caught Tyrian and Watts, and now we have Robyn as our ally! We found out that Jacques rigged the election. Oh yea, The Happy Huntresses know about Amity now! General Ironwood told them and now he’s also sending more supplies to Mantle!” There were so many familiar words that you couldn’t place your finger on why they were so familiar.

“ Tyrian..? Watts..?” 

“ Yea! Don’t worry Tyrian is in prison and he is never leaving!” The name was so familiar, why was everything so familiar? It was hurting your head just trying to think of why it was. You tried to act like you knew what Ruby was talking about but James and Qrow read you like an open book. Yet they didn’t say anything.

Everything, everyone, was just so familiar. Just being in a room with all of them, you didn’t even know who some of these people were, like the girl with the Mohawk, or the brown haired lady who looks hella strong, the dude who didn’t have a tan, and you barely knew who Clover was.

“ You don’t know who Tyrian is, do you?” Weiss asked and you sighed, “ I don’t.”

The mood In the room quickly changed and you felt bad, but thankfully you all had a girl who had an obsession with the name thunder thighs.

“ You can never scare us like that again! You need to live longer than all of us!” Nora cried out and you chuckled.

“ I don’t think it’s possible to live that long.” Ren said and Nora looked at him with such a dramatic expression that everyone laughed at, “ WE WILL MAKE IT POSSIBLE!” 

“ Someone make a note not to allow Nora in the lab.” Blake said from somewhere on the floor. 

“ If you scare us like that again, I will make you read all of the Schnee Dust Companies records of those who bought dust.” Weiss wouldn’t...right?

Willow laughed, “ That’s a LOT of records.” Oh gods.

You looked at Weiss, “ Y’know, the last I remember of you was when you had a spear through the entire side of your stomach.”

Willow and Winter choked on their spit and the Ace-ops looked at Weiss wide-eyed. Weiss gave a deep sigh and prepared herself for tons of questions.

_ “ WHAT?!  _ They all screamed and James shushed them, “ What?!” They all yelled again but quieter. James was actually even intrigued. He wanted to know what happened,

Weiss gave an annoying groan, “ Yea, when we were at Haven I got impaled by a spear and I almost died until Jaune unlocked his semblance and saved my life.”

They all just blinked rapidly at her and Jaune then there was a moment of silence until Yang broke it. “ As much as we appreciate Jaune for saving our lives, he couldn’t save his hair.” Everyone started laughing and Jaune rolled his eyes but then laughed along with the group.

This was all so..nice, and familiar. You looked at the people who you had no idea what their names were. They looked so familiar, part of you wanted to call the girl with the Mohawk, Harriet.

You closed your eyes and tried to think, the laughing didn’t help so you shut it out and then it was silence. Anima, Jaune wasn’t in his sleeping bag so you went to go look for him then there was a cave..

A man with a scorpion tail, him kicking you in the gut. In a cave with Ren and Nora..Creepy loud horse. Haven. Weiss. Oscar against a wall. A Leviathan. Flying To Atlas. Ace-ops.

Wait- Ace-ops! Elm, Vine, Harriet, Clover and Marrow! You met them all after you got...arrested? Yea, arrested.

You opened your eyes and everyone was still laughing.

“ Remember how he screamed “OZPIN” So loud that the ground started shaking?” Oscar exclaimed and everyone started laughing and they looked like they were losing their breath.

“ I hope you're all talking about another Ozpin, because you all can’t be talking about Vale’s dead headmaster.” Willow said then everyone stopped laughing then a look of nervousness washed over all of their faces. Thankfully, Jaune came up with an excuse. 

“ Hazel called him Ozpin because Oscar is Ozpin’s...son.”

_ “ Wow, Jaune. Wow.” _

You yelped when Oz’s voice was in your head and you almost jumped but then remembered that you couldn't move your back or legs without crying out in pain.

“ Yea..” Oscar said through gritted teeth, “ I’m his...son.”

“ Mm, so that’s why you have his cane.” Willow made a hum of realization and Oscar rubbed the back of his neck.

After a moment of silence everyone broke out into laughter, even though Willow was confused on why everyone was, she joined in on the laughter. 

_ “ Wow.”  _

There was a dog in the room, it looked so familiar. It jumped onto the bed beside you and licked your face.

_ “ That’s Oz.”  _ You heard Ren in your head now.

You started scratching behind his ears,  _ “ Aw, Oz! You're so cute!” _

_ “ Please don’t call me cute. Cute Boy Oz is already the worst.”  _

Everyone spent the next few hours in the room, talking about some events like the time Blake set her childhood house on fire.

You chuckled, “ Local cat burns down house to save her parents from a chameleon.” Everyone started laughing then Blake just deadpanned at you but then joined in on the laughter.

“ So Blake and Yang have committed arson, who else?” Ruby asked and you and Marrow shifted awkwardly in the room. Mostly Marrow.

“ Y/N, Marrow.” Blake looked at you both and she noticed the awkwardness, “ You two shifted.” 

Now everyone in the room was looking at you both. “ It was all her.” Marrow pointed at you, “ Hey!” You cried out and he just stuck his tongue out at you.

“ WHAT DID YOU DO?” Yang asked with a look of awe on her face and you sighed.

“ So remember that Manor in Vale that the Malachite’s owned and it burned down almost 6 years ago?”

“ Shut up.” Clover shook his head in disbelief 

“ You didn’t.” James was even interested now.

“ ...I did.” You squeaked, “ OH!” Everyone yelled in unison.

Everyone continued talking but you zoned out and kept trying to think of what you remembered. You closed your eyes since that always helped when you needed to think.

Anima.. Horse.. Weiss.

Cave, Cave, Cave.

_ Cave Cave CaveCavecavecavecavecave _ **_cavecavecave_ **

What cave? It was too blurry to remember anything, but you swore there was a cave in anima. It hurt your head just to think about it. Did Yatsu use his semblance on you? No.. he wasn’t in Anima at the time and he hated using his semblance on friends. You went to go look for Jaune when he wasn’t in his sleeping bag, you checked a cave you found and you were...were you attacked? It was all so blurry. You couldn’t think.

_ Atlas, Election night..Election night.  _

_ Bandits, the Grimm. Painkillers, Alcohol. _

Wait..painkillers? Alcohol? What..? Why was this suddenly in your head? 

You opened your eyes and you were back to the hospital, concerned eyes staring at you. “ Are you okay?” Vine asked.

You wanted to tell them, But the words just couldn’t come out of your mouth..” Yeah..Yeah I’m fine.” You breathed out and everyone nodded their heads.

“ Where are we?” You suddenly asked again and everyone looked at each other concerned, “ Atlas. You're in the hospital. Safe.” 

“ Beacon.” Was all you heard.

You wanted to believe Elm, but you were screaming at yourself not too. Why couldn’t you believe her? Why did everything have to hurt so bad? What happened to you? Why was everything a part of you broken? Why did Yang have a metal arm? No..no Beacon wasn’t safe, Yang lost her arm there. You remembered the horror in everyone's eyes and the horror you felt when you saw her on the floor beside Blake. Unconscious. 

Weiss was running to Qrow, telling her where Ruby was, he flew to the top of the tower, only to find her unconscious in front of a frozen dragon and a piece of Pyrrha’s armour. You saw it too. You remembered when there was a sudden bright light that came from the top of Beacon tower after Weiss told Qrow where Ruby was. Qrow didn’t come to the docks until maybe half an hour later, holding an unconscious Ruby and a piece of Pyrrha’s armour.

He gave it to Jaune, and you remembered Nora’s cries and sobs when they were told that she was gone. Pyrrha. The P of team JNPR. Gone. Just like that. Cinder’s fucking arrow.

You looked around the room. White walls. White floor. The flowers were the only colour in the room, other than everyone’s outfits or Ruby’s dark red cape. Everyone was still concerned for you but they continued to talk.

The Ace-ops, Team RWBY, JNR and Oscar. They were dragged into this war. You would have even been a spy for Oz once you graduated, fighting this impossible war too. Gods you were all going to protect each other no matter what. Oscar was forced into this war, and no matter what cost, you will protect him with all of your will.

You couldn’t protect Oscar from Hazel. You couldn’t protect Blake and Yang from Adam. You couldn’t protect Weiss from her father. You couldn’t protect Ren and Nora from the creepy loud ass horse or the burden of their parents death. You couldn’t protect Jaune from the pressure and burden about Pyrrha. You couldn’t protect Ruby when Tyrian attacked. 

But now you were going to try. Even if you were in the hospital. You were going to fucking try and protect all the ones you care about, Either older or younger, stronger or weaker, taller or shorter. No matter who it was, you would protect them.

“ You should get some sleep.” Clover suggested

“ I’m not tired.” But of course you had to yawn right after you said that.

“ You are totally not tired.”

“ I don’t need your sarcasm, Yang”

Everyone laughed a little and you just loved the sound of everyone’s laughter. It warmed your heart.

“ We’ll leave you to get some sleep.” Blake said then everyone started to stand up. They said their goodbyes and you were alone. The room was dark now because Qrow turned the lights off. But you liked the dark, Atlas hospitals were just so  _ white. _

“ Make sure her files are secure and censored. I don’t want her to know what happened. Even if she asks, no one can tell her that she was attacked.” The General whispered and the doctor nodded his head. 

Robyn didn’t want to be in the room. She thought that if she went in there, you would remember the attack. You gained consciousness a few times for a few seconds when Joanna and Robyn were taking you to the hospital.

She pressed her back against one of the random walls in the hospital. She was too scared to see you, so scared that if she went in, you would possibly remember being attacked. And you would scream in horror.

“ Robyn?” Robyn heard Clover’s voice and she turned a little to find Clover walking towards her.

“ Hey, shamrock.” She greeted and he chuckled, “ Still up with the nicknames, huh?” She smiled and nodded and he just rolled his eyes.

“ Why weren’t you in the room?” He asked and she just sighed in response though the question still remained in the air, “ When I found her, she gained consciousness a few times and was so scared when she saw my face. I fear that if she sees me, she’ll remember getting attacked.” 

Clover made a ‘Tch’ noise and shook his head, he put an arm around Robyn’s shoulder and got her off the wall, “ You still know how to play UNO, right?” Clover asked and she nodded, “ Let’s go. It’s game night today.” Then they both walked out of the Academy, and they were both happy that they were finally on talking terms again.

* * *

Xanthe immediately went to Pietro’s pharmacy after everyone left. She was working on your case ever since Marrow told her that Tyrian wasn’t the one to attack you, and it only made it more important that she HAD to find out who was the reason for your hospitalization.

“ Pietro?” She walked into the pharmacy and Pietro was happy to see her.

“ How’s Y/N?” Maria asked and Xanthe sighed, “ She’s awake, though she’s suffering from memory loss.”

Pietro and Maria both winced and Xanthe nodded her head in agreement. She always knew what they were thinking.

“ Pietro, did Y/N come to you after the Grimm attacked Mantle?” She asked and Pietro nodded.

“ She looked badly beaten up, I assumed it was from the Grimm. Though she smelled like alcohol. She gave me a few blueprints and I told her that I’d look at them and then be up at the Academy tomorrow for me to take her weapon and upgrade it.” Xanthe wrote it down on her scroll then sent it to Marrow. “ What time?” She asked, “ 1am.” Xanthe gave you the blueprints at 11pm..

“ Any power outages?” If your semblance went off, then any light bulbs could have broken even if you were far from the pharmacy..or maybe you were close? Robyn hadn’t told anyone where she found you.

Pietro shook his head, “ Not when she came. But there were a few by that neighbourhood near Stacks road.”

She hummed, That neighbourhood there was a pretty dangerous one. She would know, since she’s always there as a Huntress and not just a normal citizen. Though you had to go through that neighbourhood since it was the only way to get from Mantle to The Slums. 

Xanthe pulled out her scroll to message the chat with everyone working on the case.

* * *

_ Xanthe: Look into any power outages from 11pm to 1am in the neighbourhood by Stacks road. _

_ Marrow: That came out of the blue. _

_ Xanthe: If Y/N’s semblance went off at that time, then she could have broken light bulbs.  _

_ James: A few people called Customer Communications center, it wasn’t only glass breaking off of light bulbs, windows of houses were shattered. Vases in houses were breaking. _

_ Clover: Cameras? _

_ James: Broken. _

_ Robyn: Check Odyssey Road. That’s where me and Joanna found her. _

_ James: That’s weird. We had these cameras fixed 3 weeks ago. But I can’t seem to look at any of the cameras there. _

_ Harriet: You think Watts may have hacked into them? _

_ Clover: Qrow just started looking at my scroll. _

* * *

Qrow moved his head away from Clover’s shoulder and looked into his boyfriends eyes- could he say boyfriend now? They’ve been dating for almost 3 weeks now. Eh, maybe a little too soon.

“ Why’d you tell them I was looking?” He asked and Clover laid his back on the bed and shifted uncomfortably.

“..Clover?”

“ It’s just something. You don’t need to worry.”

Qrow knew something was wrong, but he wasn’t going to question it. Instead he’ll just tease Clover for the answers.

Clover yelped when Qrow poked the side of his stomach, “ QrOW!” He giggled and shrieked when he started tickling him, “ QROHO STAHAP HAHA.”

Glynda, Robyn and Marrow watched from the other side of Clover’s room, “ Should we help?” Robyn asked but Glynda just shook her head, “ Let the 2 lovebirds be.” She responded.

* * *

_ Robyn: We lost Clover. _

_ Glynda: Mhm. _

_ Xanthe: Oh gosh. _

_ James: How? _

_ Robyn: He’s being tickled to death by Qrow. _

_  
Harriet: I leave for 5 minutes to get snacks for Game night and this happens.  _

_ James: Make sure he doesn’t say anything, I know for a fact that when he’s tickled, he tends to reveal secrets. _

_ Marrow: And how would you know that, General? _

_ James: I may or may not have tickled Clover once, or twice. _

_ Robyn: and here I thought you were boring. _

_ Harriet: Well him and Clover are very good friends. _

_ James: I will die with that secret. _

_ Marrow: what secrets did he reveal? _

_ James: … _

_ Glynda: Oh my gosh, what did he reveal. _

_ Robyn: That he masturbates. _

_ Marrow: Robyn how the fuck would you know that? _

_ Robyn: it’s not like I haven’t tickled him before. I grew up with shamrock. _

_ Glynda: I remember when James was so damn ticklish. Now you're so boring. _

_ James: Am not! _

_ Glynda: Are too. _

_ Marrow: Wait, General your ticklish? _

_ James: Try it and die, Amin. _

_ Robyn: Marrow just tensed the fuck up. _

* * *

  
  


“ QROHOHO IT WAS HAHA TYRIANAH WASN’T THE STOHOP ONE.” Qrow immediately stopped tickling him when he realized what the giggling man said..

...Tyrian wasn’t the one to attack you... Why wasn’t Qrow told this?!

Glynda, Marrow, and Robyn all looked at Clover wide eyed and he was trying to regain his breath. Even Harriet came into the room and was looking at him with the same reaction.

When he regained his breath, he finally realized what he said. “ Crap. Qrow-“

“ Cloves. We promised no more secrets.”

Robyn stood up, “ Have a nice fight.” And everyone else followed her out of the room.

It broke Clover’s heart to see a look of utter betrayal on Qrow’s face. They promised not to keep secrets anymore ever since the day Qrow had told everyone that he relapsed. “ Tyrian wasn’t the one who attacked her?” He whispered with his voice cracking at the words and Clover just loathed the sound.

Qrow couldn’t handle any more secrets. Not ever since they found out that Oz had hidden the biggest secret from him for 20 years. And now to find out his boyfriend- Well, the person he was dating- had kept a secret and lied to him and everyone else? It just made his heart shatter. 

Clover couldn’t tell if the tears in Qrow’s eyes were from him finding out that Tyrian didn’t attack you, or the fact that he lied to the person he really, really liked. Qrow cared for you a lot, you were always the one who found him when he went missing, brought him back onto his feet. But Clover also knew how much Qrow hated secrets. He gave a quiet frustrated sigh when he couldn’t figure out what could be the reason Qrow had tears. 

Clover cupped Qrow’s cheek and wiped the tear that rolled down it. “ I’m so sorry. We all kept it a secret because we didn’t want to worry anyone.” 

Robyn, Marrow, Glynda and Clover listened in to the conversation- which was happily not an argument or a fight- and were all happy to hear that Qrow understood why they all hid the fact that Tyrian didn’t attack you.

But Clover knew that Qrow was still upset. 

* * *

_ Robyn: So Qrow now knows that Tyrian didn’t attack Y/N. _

_ James: Clover revealed it when he was being tickled, didn’t he? _

_ Marrow: Yep. _

_ Harriet: Mhm. _

_ Robyn: You betcha. _

_ Glynda: He was just like you when you were young, James. _

_ ( James Ironwood added Qrow Branwen to the thread.) _

_ Harriet: Ooh what was young General Ironwood like? _

_ Glynda: Vandalism. _

_ Qrow: Gods there were so many bubbles. We were visiting for the Vytal Festival tournament. _

_ Marrow: BUBBLES?! _

_ Clover: Mm, I remember that. I was in my first year in Atlas Academy and James was in his 4th. He ‘decorated’ the hallway with bubbles and pink glitter. _

_ James: Gods the glitter. _

_ Robyn: Damn General. _

_ James: Am I boring to you now, Robyn? And you can call me James. _

_ Robyn: yes u still r. _

_ James: -_- _

* * *

You didn’t know how many hours you were up for. You couldn’t sleep, when you tried to twist or turn, a wave of pain went through your entire body. You felt so...alone. It was so quiet, you always expected to hear Coco’s loud music like how she always woke you up at Beacon. Or Yatsu snoring. Or Fox just being a dick and pouring water on you. You missed all of that, you missed them too. 

Every time you close your eyes, you were suddenly in a cave in Anima and you snapped your eyes back open. Gods this was just going to go on all night, wasn’t it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually really like the idea that Clover and James were friends ever since they were in the Academy, ( James is 41 in this fic and Clover is 36, Cloves just has a late birthday)
> 
> Also I literally forgot that Glynda was still in the story.
> 
> Also I feel like Robyn and James would be that one friendship that no one expected to be.


	45. A Letter From Team CFVY.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this chapter and story has spoilers for the book; RWBY: After The Fall and Before The Dawn.

6 days had passed and a bit of your memory came back. You remembered who the Ace-ops were completely now. You remembered becoming the leader of the Fang, Sleet’s Gala, Willow Schnee, Thayers and Rivas. Everything within the 7 days of being in Atlas. But nothing else would come back.

You were getting impatient on not knowing why or how you slipped into a Coma, or why the nurses or doctors in the hospital wouldn’t tell you or why your whole damn body was just broken. Jaune would come by every morning but it barely helped for some reason. Your Aura barely showed when he used his semblance. It was so faint.

At least it helped heal your wrist. And your arm was starting to feel a little better so you could finally move it more. You could also move your legs a little more, if Jaune comes by more and more then your arm would be healed and your legs wouldn't hurt as much when you moved them.

Glynda took over classes for you and you would tutor Oscar in the hospital. 

“ Okay, what do you know about Vacuo?” You asked and Oscar was sitting on the couch with a notebook in his hands and 2 history books beside him. “ Uhh, it's a desert?”

You facepalmed with your healed hand and he whined, “ I grew up outside of the kingdoms! I've never travelled before!” You just rolled your eyes playfully and cleared your throat.

“ Write this down because I actually will test you on this.” You warned and he nodded then grabbed a pen. 

“ Vacuo is on the western end on the continent of Sanus. Vacuo was founded in a large oasis with lush jungles, abundant resources, natural barriers and the largest Dust deposit ever recorded in Remnant's history. Though I assume you know now that the Dust was stolen from them. But once the War started and settlers from Mistral started doing on their territory, it soon turned into a Wasteland, and the people of Vacuo had to get used to just sand.” 

“ If you can survive in Vacuo, then you are welcome, regardless of your background.”

“ Vacuo doesn't even have a proper Council, Shade is the only form of government there.” You looked over to the door to find Qrow and Clover standing, “ Am I wrong?” Qrow asked and you shook your head, “ Shade is the only form of government.” Shade Academy. A lot of people want Vacuo to go back to how it used to be, but that's never gonna happen.

Clover and Qrow sat down beside Oscar on the couch, “ Here.” Clover handed you a letter and you opened it. Your face turned soft and your heart was warm when you saw who it was from.

“ Who's it from?” Oscar asked and you breathed out a laugh, “ Team CFVY.” You responded.

“ Team CFVY? As In your old team?” Clover asked and you nodded.

“ What does it say?” Qrow asked and you started to read it.

* * *

_Hey Y/N! We got your letter saying you were at Atlas Academy and we hope you're there!_

_Just in case the embargo made this letter come in late, we wrote this on December 27th._

Damn, it was January 3rd. The letter got here _fast._

_We miss you and we are already in our 4th year! Once we graduate I swear we will barge into Atlas and take you. - Coco_

_And, my dad is in Atlas! Tell him I said hi! Btw his name is Will Scarlatina- Velvet._

_So much has happened like holy shit, so here was one of our recent missions: We got a distress call from a settlement in the desert so of course, we went to go help but then we got stuck in the desert cus of a few of those mole crabs, gosh they are so disgusting. Then we rescued this lady who was stuck in the sand, her name was Slate and she was the mayor of a settlement called Tuff but it's gone. So we took her to her NEW settlement called Feldspar and we met a Huntsman and Huntress. Their names were Bertilak Celadon and Carmine Escalados._

_Yo Carmine was hot though- Coco._

_So they were hired to protect these 2 dudes named Edward Caspian and August Caspian ( His grandson)_

_Or just Gus- Velvet._

_They protected them from Sumire which is a damn settlement in Vale._

_But then… Slate reveals that emotions have been running at a high rate, which made us realize something else is causing people to have emotional outbursts. So we began to investigate._

_So we continued to investigate the strange emotional outbursts in settlements around Vacuo, and we discovered that Carmine, Bertilak and the Caspians were involved in every incident. When Velvet and Yatsu talked to Gus, he revealed that he and Edward have been unintentionally using "mood bombs" to amplify people's emotions and that the two had hired Carmine and Bertilak for protection from the happening Grimm attacks._

_In the middle of the night, Fox saw Edward walking away from the settlement in his sleep, and Bertilak confronted Edward about leaving. But the weird thing was, for whatever reason, Fox couldn't get in sync with his Semblance and we were like “ Uhm that's weird”_

_So once Edward woke up from his sleepwalking. Back inside the Caspians' shed, Gus revealed that the reason Fox couldn't use his Semblance was because of Gus' Semblance - the ability to block others' Semblances - and he doesn't have full control of. He explained that he controls it very well and that he has been trying to use it to control Edward's Semblance, which amplifies emotions. Then we started arguing with Carmine and Bertilak, which was interrupted by screams and gunfire outside._

_Carmine, Bertilak and Velvet decided to escort Edward, Gus and Feldspar citizens to the City of Vacuo since Grimm started attacking Feldspar and the rest of us ( Aka Team CFVY) tried to against the invading Grimm but then we had to leave because of a sand storm._

_Then this bitch, Bertilak, starts taunting Yatsu about the Fall of Beacon, trying to start a fight. Carmine and the rest of us broke it up, and we escorted the travellers into the desert._

_So basically Velvet, Carmine and Bertilak were somewhere in the desert and Fox couldn't contact Velvet with his semblance, but then we ended up reaching Velvet’s group._

_But we noticed that Bertilak and Edward were missing so Fox went to go look for them EVEN THOUGH A SANDSTORM WAS COMING._

_What was it gonna do? Blind me again?- Fox._

_So Fox found Edward in the sand but then guess what._

_…_

_…_

_WE FOUND OUT THAT GUS’ SEMBLANCE WAS CAUSING THE MOOD BOMBS AND EDWARD COULD BLOCK PEOPLE’S SEMBLANCE! MIND-BLOWING RIGHT? BUT THEN THIS HAPPENED:_

_BERTILAK WAS A TRAITOR AND STARTED ATTACKING FOX BUT FOX DIDN’T HEAR OR KNOW IT WAS COMING AND HE GOT HIT BY SOMETHING HARD AND PASSED OUT._

_SO FOX WOKE UP TO EDWARD FUCKING FIGHTING BERTILAK AND EDWARD WAS WINNING YET HE WAS LIKE 70 SOMETHING_

_SO WHEN FOX REGAINED LIKE HIS BREATH OR WHATEVER AND EDWARD GOT EXHAUSTED, IT SWITCHED TO FOX VS BERTILAK! SO BERTILAK STARTS TELLING FOX BOUT HIS BOSS CALLED “ The Crown” AND THEY WANNA STEAL POWERFUL SEMBLANCES FOR SOME REASON!_

_SO BERTILAK AND CARMINE WERE AFTER GUS AND EDWARD FOR THEIR SEMBLANCES AND APPARENTLY, THE CROWN HAS FILES ON US AND EVERY SINGLE HUNTSMAN OR HUNTRESS IN TRAINING IN VACUO! THAT’S JUST FUCKING CREEPY._

_Coco, stop writing it in caps dude- Yatsu._

_Fine - Coco._

_So Fox and Edward were able to beat Bertilak and they carried him throughout the damn sand storm._

_So now back to the better people, Aka Velvet and Coco. - Coco._

_Fuck you, Coco- Fox._

_So while Fox was fighting. Me, Velvet and Yatsu spotted a Flatback Slider, which is an enormous one-hundred-foot tall turtle that swims through deserts, and Slate suggested riding the slider since we would be safe from the sandstorm on its back. Then ANOTHER sandstorm covers the horizon, but we soon realized a gargantuan Blind Worm WAS COMING TOWARDS US AND IT WAS THE SIZE OF THE TURTLE._

_So as the Blind Worm approaches us, another mood bomb goes off, amplifying everyone's panic. Fox and Edward soon arrive and we realize that Carmine and Gus Went missing and we spotted them at the bottom of a dust devil. Yatsu, Fox and Edward went after Carmine, and for some reason, they brought the unconscious Bertilak with them, and Yatsu used his Semblance to make Bertilak forget everything that happened that day. Yatsu and Carmine fought but it's quickly subdued. He and Fox realize that her Semblance was TELEKINESIS, though it doesn't compare to Glynda’s. Bertilak then woke up._

_So since Yatsu used his semblance on Bertiliak, Bertilak thought that Carmine was going against him and bringing Gus by herself so then Carmine and he started fighting._

_So back to me and Velvet. The Blindworm came and it FUCKING ATE ME! IT FUCKING ATE ME! COCO FUCKING ADEL! But Velvet and Fox came back and got me out._

_So we all raced to go help Yatsu but then we saw Carmine and Bertilak fighting and then we all ended up fighting but then we were all defeated. So we raced back to the turtle to find that THE BLIND WORM WAS STILL ALIVE BUT THEN SLATE TOLD US THAT 4 HUNTSMAN IN TRAINING KILLED THE REMAINING OF THE BLIND WORM?_

_Guess who it was._

_…_

_IT WAS TEAM SSSN_

_SUN’S OUT WITH HIS GUN’S OUT- Sun._

_WHAT IS UP IN THE HOOD- Neptune._

_That blind-worm was so scary- Scarlet._

_I did most of the hard work cuz none of your weapons have anything sharp so you couldn't fucking stab it. - Sage._

_So we all apprehended Carmine and Bertilak and took them to Coquina which is protected by Oscoru Academy but then they ended up breaking out._

_But yea that was our mission._

_So SSSN told us everything that happened at Haven and damn._

_But we're still trying to figure out who the Crown is and why they’re stealing powerful semblances. We just need the Headmaster’s approval on letting us investigate it. But even if he doesn't, we're still gonna investigate since a bunch of people with good semblances have gone missing._

_But yeah, we miss you so write back to us soon!_

_WE LOVE YOUUUUUUUUU._

_Also, I wrote the entire damn thing. I also wrote what everyone said while I wrote this- Coco._

_Love team CFVY and SSSN. Or SSSNN now since Nolan ( the last surviving member of team BRNZ) and Scarlet seem to be close…_

_Coco, don't fucking write that. -Scarlet._

* * *

  
Everyone just blinked at you and the letter and you just shook your head, “ And here I thought they wouldn't do any more stupid shit.”

“ Language”

“ Clover you weren't saying that the entire time I read the letter.”

“ Because it wasn't you saying it. It was your friend.”

You rolled your eyes then looked back to Oscar, “ Time for the Oz question of the day.” He groaned. James asked you if you could ask Oscar questions that only Oz could know.

“ Who is the Headmaster at Shade Academy? And who is their right hand?” Oscar hummed as he tried to think. His eyes lit up, “ Headmaster Theodore and Professor Rumpole!” Professor Rumpole was a hard person to crack. She's very secretive, keeping very little traces of her history public, as well as her first name, something not even Theodore knows. She's as harsh as Glynda, and strict too. 

“ YEA!” You high-fived him with your non-broken arm but he still looked a little sad, you knew how much he didn't want Oz to take over. 

Maria soon came into the room and sat on a chair on the other side of the bed, “ Hey, Maria!” You greeted and she smiled.

Maria looked at the 2 lovebirds in the room and looked at the man with an actual bird name who was resting his head on the captain’s shoulder, “ Clover, tell me about your past boyfriends.” She just wanted to make sure Clover wasn’t a player so she could protect the person who admired her from a broken heart.

Qrow moved his head away from Clover’s shoulder and raised an eyebrow. He even wanted to know about it.

“ One when I was 15. But I barely remember him since we didn’t go out much.”

“ What about someone you’ve tried to impress?”

Clover hummed as he remembered this one story on how he tried to impress a man that he met at a casino. “ Well it was during my Academy days and there was this guy who was also in the Academy. I’d go to the Casino a few times and I met him there. I unlocked my Semblance 2 years before that so I’d use it to help him win.”

He chuckled a little, “ Though I used it too much and I depleted my Aura. I woke up In the hospital and the dude didn’t even come to visit or call.”

Qrow scoffed, “ He sounds like a dick. Please tell me you beat him up.” Clover laughed a little, “ When I went back to the Academy though, he asked if I was okay and I told him I was fine. We spent the rest of the time as _friends_ until he graduated.”

“ He was a 4th year?” Oscar found himself asking and Clover nodded then put his hands on the back of his head and rested his legs on your bed.

Maria groaned, “ I would have been interested in this story if you two got together.” Qrow would have not been interested at all.

He chuckled, “ Well this story is how I met the one and only, James Ironwood.”

You all blinked at him, shocked, and Oscar dropped the pen he was holding and the pen making a few thuds on the ground was the only sound in your room as you all just stared at Clover. Speaking of shamrock, he howled with laughter at all of your reactions.

Someone gave a frustrated sigh and you looked over to the door to find James standing there and leaning against the door frame, “ Must you always tell that story?”

“ Yep.” You knew Clover just loved to tease or annoy friends with embarrassing stories about them. Qrow stared at his friend and breathed out a laugh, “ You better not try to steal my boyfriend, Jimmy.” He said and Qrow and Clover both realized that it was the first time one of them said “ Boyfriend.”

_Boyfriend._ The word repeated In Qrow’s head and he smiled to know that he was blessed to find a man who surprisingly had the opposite semblance of his own and is Atlas’s golden boy. Both of them were completely different yet fate had brought them together. 

Qrow, a man raised by bandits who never got to see flowers of different colours or have friends and he destined his life to kill Huntsman, alongside his sister, but then quickly changed as he met the one and only Professor Ozpin.

Clover, a man born in Argus who got the chance to smell and see flowers and to have fun every day of his life. He went to a proper combat school in Mistral which was also known as Sanctum Academy and got his license at one of the most well-funded schools in all of Remnant. Atlas Academy.

James raised his right eyebrow in surprise, so high that it reached the strip of silver metal right above it, “ Qrow, I would never date Clover. He makes too many luck puns and he’s not my type and-“

“ You realize I’m right here?” Clover deadpanned and James gave an apologetic smile.

His apologetic smiled then switched to a flirty grin, “And, I’m already interested in someone.”

You all raised your eyebrows in surprise and Maria just rolled her prosthetic eyes- which you had no idea she could do.

“ Do tell,” Clover said.

“ Kai Flint-“

You and Clover started coughing and James widened his eyes mildly. “ KAI?!” You both yelled and he nodded. “ Wow, I’m now deaf,” Oscar said and Clover gave him an apologetic smile and ruffled his hair.

Kai Flint. You’ve known him since you could even remember your first day in the White Fang. He was one of the older kids, since he was well, 20 years older than you. He left when you were 12 because he wanted to become a doctor, a Trauma surgeon to be exact. And by left, that means he escaped. You both sort of... _hated_ each other. Well, hate is a strong word, more like dislike. 

It would be so nice to see all of the snobby Atlesians faces when they see their beloved General Ironwood with a wolf Faunus and in love with that exact Faunus.

“ Hold on, Clover, how do you know who Kai is?” You asked.

“ Me, Kai, and Robyn all trained on being a Trauma Surgeon.” He responded.

“ And I met Kai when Clover introduced him to me.” Kai was maybe only 2 years younger then James.

“ You trained to be a Trauma Surgeon?” You asked and Clover nodded, “ I gave everyone their first aid training when you slipped into a coma.”

“ You did?” Blake came into the room and sat down on the floor and James sat down beside her.

“ Yes!” He cried out, “ I gave you all your first aid and CPR certification! I even signed my name on it!”

“ You're joking.” Oscar pulled out his scroll to look for the certificate, “ Oh wow, you're not joking.” You shifted a little so you could look at the transparent screen and tried to find the signature on it.

James noticed how you shifted and his face fell. He remembered when he was going through shit to try and find you after the Grimm attack because it was past 1 am and you weren't at the Academy yet. He tried tracking your scroll but it was turned off at 1:10 AM, and Robyn found you at 1:28. Your scroll wasn't with you when Robyn found you, it wasn't even in the area. James thought that the person who attacked you might have taken your scroll. So, he tried his best with technology to track your scroll, even if it was off. But Pietro and Will Scarlatina couldn't even do it, and they were his _best_ scientists. 

“ I understand that Y/N forgot, but you and Oscar? Wow.”

“Even if I'm suffering from memory loss. That sounds like something I'd forget.” You heard Maria snort but she quickly covered it up with a cough when Clover glared at her.

“ I think Ren and Jaune are the only ones who remember.” Elm soon came into the room then sat down beside Blake, and booped the young girl. Did everyone just like to come at night?

“ Oh, Blake!” You called and she turned her head to you and you threw the letter at her, “ It's a letter from Team CFVY. “ She didn't hesitate to read it immediately.

You remembered when Blake had first met Velvet. It was a few hours after the first-years initiation and there was a small party. Velvet was being chased by a few first year's ( Team CRDL) who were criticizing her for being a Faunus, and Blake extended her leg out from where she was sitting and she tripped one of the boys who was following Velvet.

Then Velvet went to go say thank you to her and she also ended up meeting Yang. You had a feeling that Velvet probably still has the book that Blake gave her when Velvet had thanked her. “ Don't fold the pages, I hate dog ears.” Blake told her.

You all talked for the next few minutes and Blake, Oscar, and Maria soon left.

Qrow, Clover and Elm left, then it was just you and James.

“ So, Jim.” You drove James out of whatever thoughts he was in and he made a questioning face, “ Why am I in the hospital?”

James knew this question would come to him sooner or later. He did know that you were annoyed when you didn't get answers that you desperately needed. He thought of a bunch of excuses in his head to tell you. “ You were attacked by an Ursa.”

You hummed and shook your head, “ You hesitated.”

He chuckled, “ Perspective, you always are.” He muttered something else that you couldn't exactly hear but it sounded like “ Fuck.”

“ You're deflecting the question.”

His face became serious and you flinched at the sudden change, “ You were attacked by an Ursa. It caught you off guard so that's how it got you. “

“ Then why are my files censored?” 

He rolled his eyes, “ Why are you looking at your files here when you know you shouldn't.”

You simply shrugged,“ I wanted to know what happened to me.” There was a thick tension in the air between you two.

“ You were heading to Amity. You were walking on a cliff coming back from another mission when an Ursa jumped up behind you and attacked you. You fell off the cliff and well, that's how you're in this current condition.”

“ James, there are no cameras by any cliffs out in the Tundra, so please explain to me how you know all of this.”

James widened his eyes in realization. _Damn, she's good._ He thought. He knew you were the person to figure things out instantly ever since the moment he saw you walk into Ozpin’s office during your first year. Yet, he didn't expect you to keep that aspect of your personality through your second year and the travel to Atlas.

He smiled though it wasn't a nice smile, it was more of a ‘ Listen to me, this is blackmail’ kinda smile. “ Y/N.” He stood up and walked to the door slowly as he talked, “ You are to stay here at all costs. Not like you can even walk, since you can't even move your legs.” 

You scoffed, “ There's something called a wheelchair, and why? I should be allowed to roam around freely, you're not the boss of me!”

He stopped walking then turned to you and frowned, “ I would like to think I have shown a great deal of patience over my many years in Atlas. But I do hate repeating myself. You _will_ remain here. Is. That. _Clear?”_

Your friend, James fucking Ironwood. Was forcing you to stay in your hospital room at all times. You wanted to snap at him, scream at him until you couldn't anymore. But you needed to stay calm, or else you could make this worst.

“ Fine. But at least I should be allowed to go to the ball.” 

He chuckled and smiled, “ Did you not understand me when I said, “ You will remain here.”? Because if you didn't, then I'm saying that you will NOT leave this hospital room. And you will not go to the ball.”

An Atlas Ball. James hosted it every year, and It was said to be one of the best Balls that Atlas has ever been to. James always let the students into the ball too. You always wanted to go to that ball ever since you were a little girl. 

The biggest event of the year in Atlas, the biggest moment you've been waiting for. Isn't happening.

You breathed out a sad laugh, “ This isn't just Cinderella or some shit! You can't keep me in this place forever as if I'm just something to be trapped. Why are you doing this?” 

He clenched his fists then reached for something in his pocket, “ This.” He hissed and he took out something that was all too familiar with you. A photo.

You gulped when you saw which photo it was. You, Adam, Marrow, Samantha and Xanthe.

“ Now I know why you knew people from the White Fang.” You started breathing heavily, did...did he know? Your heart was beating so fast that you could hear it. Your ears started ringing. 

“ I saw them. Every. Single. File. On those who are dead. I would have been fine with you being in the White Fang at a young age, but being the leader _right now?_ You can kiss your ass goodbye to ever leaving this damn hospital. Only when you're healed fully” And until we find the person who attacked you, though those words didn't dare to come out of his mouth.

Tears were already in your eyes. The ringing in your ears wouldn't stop and your heart ached. Why did he have to find out like this?!

“ James-”

“ It's General, to you.” And like that he left.

Once he was completely away from your hospital room, he leaned against a wall and ran a hand through his hair. He didn't want to do that to you, he didn't want to do _any_ of that to you. He wanted to keep you safe, that was all. And being a leader is hard, he should know, he runs a military and a school. He could see the reason why you made that speech about him. It's hard to be a leader, especially because you have to care and watch over the ones who follow your leadership. But he still felt betrayed, because you sided with people who were responsible for losing his limbs, and the rest of SMIL. His friends... _family._

Willow was careful not to make a sound when James left your room. She was standing behind the opened door the entire time just to listen in. It was a miracle that James didn't see her when he left. 

Willow heard the sound of muffled crying and she walked into your room to find you with your head in the pillow, tears staining it.

“ Hello, darling.” She whispered, her voice soft and caring. She sat on your bed and rubbed your back, “ Let it all out.”

Your cries filled the quiet room and Willow felt fresh tears forming her eyes. She cared for you so much, and she just loathed the sound of you crying. The day she met you, at Sleet’s ball. She felt like she finally made a friend after being isolated for so long. 

She knew you were strong. She knew that you became the leader, even though it meant hurting James if he were to find out, which he did. She knew that even if everyone found out...you would keep moving forward. It made her want to become a better person. A person that her family had given up on such a long time ago.

“ I want to quit drinking.” She announced and you raised your head from the pillow and looked her in the eyes. She wiped the tear that rolled down your cheek and you rested your head on your shoulder. She comforted you until all she could hear were small sniffs. “ I've been isolated for so long and everyone has given up on me becoming sober.”

You raised your head from her shoulder, “ And I will help you quit.” You whispered and she chuckled, “ You don't need to help with anything.” she responded.

“ Can I kill your husband?”  
  


“ As long as I can punch General Ironwood for you.”  
  


“ Please do. I'll take a photo right before you do so it can cherish our friendship.”

James...someone she's known for so long, had just isolated someone she cared for. She's been isolated for too long to know that it's miserable, and that you could lose all the people you love. James, her former best friend, someone she saw as a brother, someone she's known for her entire life. But perhaps...maybe she didn't know who he was anymore…

James was hiding the fact that you were attacked, and she knew how much you needed to heal, but you only had 7% of your Aura left. So it was her turn to help you, unlike James who hasn't done anything. 

“ Cinderella.” She heard you say it when she was listening in. Perhaps, you just needed a fairy godmother. And thank the gods that there was one right in front of you.

Though to get you healed in time for the ball in 3 days, you had to at least have your arms, and legs healed. Your back was already healed by Jaune.

Finally, out of the silence and no movement coming from any of you two. She moved her hand and cupped your cheek. It was like there was nothing around you both, the walls around you and everything else was fading away, then, it was just you and her. Your Auras glowed and you noticed that yours was barely visible.

“ What?” You breathed out. Why was your Aura barely visible? It was as if it was...gone...completely.

She closed her eyes and focused, “ For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death. I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee.” 

It was like fresh air was entering your lungs. You noticed that your Aura was becoming more and more visible, and everything around you was becoming brighter. You were back in the hospital room.

She didn't give you much of her Aura, maybe just 15% of it. But she knew it would be enough to get you moving again. “ When Banana-haired boy gets here tomorrow. I'm sure your arm will be as good as new.”

You nodded your head but everything was so weird. Why was your aura barely visible? Why was it gone? 

78% of your aura was now gone, not 93%

Willow stood up, “ I have some things to say to a certain someone. I'll see you in 3 days.” 3 days? Why so specific? Did she not hear that you weren't allowed to go to the ball?

* * *

James sat on his chair and finished the bottle of Vacuo’s golden whiskey he had on his desk. Now he knew why Qrow and Clover drank. He felt horrible, he felt so bad for just snapping at you. But it was for your own good.

Someone knocked at his office door, he had the locks engaged so no one could come in, “ I'm busy-”

But whoever was on the other side of the door didn't care because he heard a familiar sound then he heard an explosion which sent him stumbling back and onto the ground. 

It triggered him, flashbacks of SMIL and the explosion, when Lydia had pushed him out of the way. He could feel and hear the fire burning around her, her screams. Then she was silent.

When he finally got a hold of himself, he got off the floor and brushed the dust off of his clothes, “ WHO IN THE-” He looked up and Willow was standing there, a glyph right behind her and a crystal of fire dust in her hand. Where in the world did she get the crystal from? Her right hand was in a fist and she was holding the crystal in the other, tightly that it could burn in her hand. 

“ Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you.” 

“ Willow what is this-”

“ Y/N.” He automatically knew now. He swore he saw a figure behind the door when he walked away from your room but when he looked back, no one was there and your cries filled the empty and quiet hall. He hated that sound so, so much.

“ Look it was for her own-”

“ Isolating her in a damn hospital is not for her own good, General!” She wouldn't dare to call him by his first name anymore. 

He straightened his back and clasped his hands behind him. He just wanted to drink, and be alone and realize his stupid mistakes but not do anything about it, “ I suggest you leave or I'll have security escort you out.” 

She scoffed. She couldn't believe it, and she also couldn't fight back. “ Fine.” her grip loosened on the crystal and the glyph faded away. She left. Now all James has to do is fix his damn door.

He pressed a button on his desk, “ Dr. Scarlatina?” Will Scarlatina was the only scientist who would be up at this time in the Academy. He knew he was always up to making new gadgets to give to his daughter, Velvet Scarlatina.

He chuckled at the thought of the girl, he remembered how when he first met Will, he told him that his daughter would love it if he put a Pumpkin pete statue in Atlas. James wasn't much for jokes, but he laughed at that one. Will was surprised that _General Ironwood_ was laughing at his joke.

_“ Yes, sir?”_

“ I, uh, can you fix my door?”

* * *

When Qrow and Clover got back to the penthouse, they found a smirking Elm. “ What is it?” Clover asked and she pointed to certain dog Faunhs who seemed to be lost in his thoughts to even notice that Clover and Qrow came.

They took a few steps closer to see what Marrow was looking at on his scroll and then they both joined in on the smirking.

Photos of you and him, either recent ones or old ones. He was smiling and his smile grew wider as he scrolled on his...scroll from photo to photo. After maybe 44 photos because you were just a person who took so many with him. He felt someone looking at him and he felt Elm’s smirk. 

Qrow and Clover decided to go into Clover’s room and Elm wasn't only smirking at Marrow, “ Try not to make too much noise!” Qrow heard Harriet yell then Clover stuck the middle finger up at her and slammed the door.

* * *

“ I don't know how you can live with this many pillows!” Qrow laid down on the bed, referring to the 12 damn small pillows on it. Clover rolled his eyes then laid down next to his boyfriend and kissed his temple.

“ You said Boyfriend.” Clover remarked and Qrow felt his ears go red.

“ Well we've been dating for almost a month now and I thought we could make it official.” Qrow booped Clover’s nose then rested his head on his shoulder, “ That's fine with me.” Clover rested his head on Qrow’s and he felt hair as dark as a feather, tickling the side of his face. 

Clover noticed a feather on Qrow’s shirt and picked it up. Qrow’s eyes widened a little but he tried to keep cool. He couldn't just tell Qrow could turn into a bird by his feather on him...right?

Shamrock hummed, “ Looks just like mine.” He said, referring to the Crows feather attached to his belt. Qrow gave a nervous chuckle, “ Guess we saw the same bird?” He tried so hard not to make it come out as a question, but it came out as one.

* * *

Marrow looked up from his scroll to find everyone staring at him and smirking. Even Vine was. “ What is it?” 

“ You and Y/N.” Elm sat down beside him on the couch and he moved to another open spot but then she just followed until he couldn't move on the couch anymore. He knew what was happening, “ What about her?”

“ You are so oblivious to your own crush.” Harriet rolled her eyes and playfully pushed Marrow. He pouted, “ I don't have a crush on her!” 

* * *

“ Okay, so maybe I do have a crush on her.” He told Elm and threw fetch at a Grimm that was coming towards him and her. The other Ace-ops and Qrow weren't far, they were pretty close. 

Elm shrieked and screamed in delight and Marrow covered his ears.

“ Why is Elm screaming?” He heard Clover yell over Elm’s screams of delight.

“ I told her something personal!”

“ ON A MISSION?!”

“ Cloves, it's not that bad. Her screams are scaring the Grimm away.” Qrow said then everyone winced as a Goliath ran into the wall of the canyon and everyone made a louder wince when half of the canyon had fallen onto it. 

Elm hugged Marrow tightly then lifted him up into the air, “ ELM! PUT! ME! DOWN!” 

She just dropped him and he whined. “So should we know about this personal thing, or Nah.” Harriet said and Marrow chuckled.

_Well, I guess I can tell them._

“ I-”

“ Marrow’s in love with Y/N!” He glared at Elm and she just smiled sheepishly.

“ WOOOO!”

“ HELL YEAAAAAA!”

“ GO TELL HER! THE MISSION IS OVER EITHER WAY.” 

He listened to Harriet then got up from the cold snowy ground and they all ran into a Manta. Marrow was gonna tell you how he felt. WOO! He can do it! 

Yeah, he couldn't do it.


	46. Cinderella

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited on Feburary 18th 2021: The conversation between you and James was removed. And the conversation between James and Clover was removed.

Willow Schnee hadn't touched alcohol in 2 days. She felt horrible when she poured all the alcohol she had in her room down the drain, but good riddance! She felt so good after.

Plus, she needed to be sober if she had an entire plan for you and the ball.

* * *

Jaune went to the hospital the next morning to amplify your Aura.   
  


He didn't expect to see you awake when he got to your hospital room. “ Hey, Jaune!” You greeted as he walked in and he smiled then sat down on a chair right beside your bed. His hands hovered over your body and both of your Auras appeared and he was only healing your legs now. He was surprised at how you suddenly had more Aura.

“ Did anyone sort of give you their Aura?” He asked

You nodded, “ Willow did.” 

The Aura over your legs disappeared and he smiled then walked to the other side of the bed and put his hand out, “ Try walking.” You took his hand and stood up.

You breathed out a laugh when your legs didn't hurt when you moved them or stood up. You were finally walking again. They wobbled a little because you haven't walked in a while but you would get used to it.

“ Until you heal,” James told you. Well, you were healed now! You could finally go to the ball.

* * *

“You're not going to the ball,” James crossed his arms over his chest.

You scoffed, “Why can't I, James? I don't understand why this is such a big problem. I'm healed now! I can move!”

He shook his head, “ It's not a big problem. You're not safe out there. So, You're still not going. End of discussion. “

You huffed, " Why can't you just tell me what happened to me? Why am I in this damn hospital?!"

A look of sadness washed over his face until it was stern again, he then walked out, not even replying. He wanted you to go to the ball, to have fun with your friends and act like Salem didn't even exist for once, but he still hadn't caught who attacked you. He just wanted you to be safe. Even if that meant keeping you isolated from the outside world.

You groaned and kicked the air, “ Fuck you!” You yelled, loud enough so he could hear from down the hall. 

James had a lot to do today, especially on getting the food ready and the decorations for the ball. This was going to be a loooooooong day for him.

It was miserable in that damn hospital room, you were all alone because the others went formal wear shopping and you knew for a fact that it took Yang, 5 hours to get ready. And that's just for her makeup.

You groaned into the pillow as you heard nurses and doctors talking about the ball outside of your room.

It wasn't fair! You've been dreaming of going to the best event that Atlas has, ever since you were a little girl. It was funny how you always thought you would find your ‘prince’, though everything is a childish dream. This was literally Cinderella, your favorite fairytale as a child. Just you don't get the happy ending

You heard the sound of a plastic bag being moved and the click of heels walking towards your room, “ Are you getting up? We're an hour late!” You heard Willow say 

You chuckled and raised your head from the pillow, “ Willow, I can't go-”

Your breath hitched when you saw a plastic, transparent, garment bag, and a beautiful pink dress inside of it. “ I made it just for you.”

It was a pink A-Line Long-Sleeved Off-the-Shoulder Tulle Beading Floor-Length Dress. And gods was it beautiful. She laid it down on your bed. She wore a light blue Bateau Tulle Applique dress with white flowers on it. 

“ I-Willow- I- Thank you.” The dress was so beautiful and you couldn't even take your eyes off of it.

You yelped when she threw a pair of heels at you, “ Get dressed! We're late!” 

“ But the moment I step inside, James will see me.” You yelped when she threw a mask at you, “ It's a masquerade ball.” Well, that answered your problem.

You got to one of the bathrooms and put the dress on. You made sure not to pass any of your doctors on the way to the bathroom and the way back to your room. 

You looked at a mirror in the room. You felt like Cinderella. The dress and everything...though something was missing. You grabbed the heels that were on your bed and you turned them into glass. Now it was Cinderella.

Willow smiled, perhaps she was a fairy godmother. 

You put your hair up in a bun and made sure to put the brown side of your hair was shown more, so then James wouldn't know it was you. You put the mask on and Willow made sure it was secure at the back. On the right side of the mask, there was a white flower with hints of pink in it. The other side of the mask had the same flowers but smaller.

“ You ready?” Willow asked as you put the glass slippers on

You nodded your head, “ Let's go.” You breathed out.

* * *

“ You go in first.” You told Willow. She hesitated but then nodded and opened the ballroom doors and walked down the steps. You peaked through the open crack in the door. Atlas security was everywhere. You saw team RWBY together and laughing. General Ironwood was with the Ace-ops, probably informing them all that you weren't coming.

It will probably be a mistake when you step through the doors, but you’ll keep making new mistakes. You’ll make them every day. 

You took a deep breath and opened the ballroom doors.

Maybe you were wrong when you told James that this wasn't Cinderella because it was. Just walking down those steps with the glass slippers and everyone looking at you as you walked down the steps, it was all basically Cinderella. You felt like the princess in the fairytales. Just where exactly was your prince? 

“ Who's that?” Clover asked then the Ace-ops turned to the person who was walking down the steps, “ I have no idea but she is gorgeous.” Harriet responded.

Marrow smiled because he knew exactly who it was. He shrugged, “ Your right, she is beautiful.” He said and he couldn't take his eyes off of you.

“ Marrow.” He heard someone whisper then he turned around and Jaune, Qrow and Ren were there, his eyes lit up when he knew why, “ Okay, let's go get ready.”

Qrow winked at Weiss and she understood, “ I'll be right back.” Weiss said to her teammates as she walked behind the stage in the gigantic ballroom. Ruby, Blake and Yang looked at each other confused then looked back at Weiss who was nowhere to be seen and they just shrugged.

The sleeves on your dress were kind of see-through, though it didn't matter to you anymore, everyone already saw all your scars at the hospital. You walked over to Willow who was talking with Miko, “ You clean up nice.” He said.

You chuckled, “ Thank you.” 

“ Damn, Y/N!” Xanthe said and she, Samantha and Zedd walked over to you. She was about to say something else until Weiss’ voice filled the room.

“ Hello, everyone!” Her voice echoed throughout the ballroom and everyone turned to the stage, “ My name is Weiss Schnee, and I hope you are all having a good time!” You looked over to the General and he even had no idea what was going on.

A few people started cheering and Weiss chuckled, “ Please welcome, Qrow Branwen, Lie Ren, Jaune Arc, and Marrow Amin!” The 4 of them were wearing DRESSES and everyone started cheering, “ UNCLE QROW!” Ruby yelled and was laughing her head off.

You heard Glynda groan, “ Don't tell me they're actually doing this.” She facepalmed.

The Ace-ups looked at her with a look of wonder on their faces, “ Do what?!” Before Glynda could answer Harriet’s question, the music started playing and you never thought Weiss would ever sing a song like this.

The boys had umbrellas and they started dancing with them.

_Oh yeah yeah_

_Oh yeah yeah yeah_

_Ooh!_

_Oh yeah yeah_

_Oh yeah yeah yeah_

_Ooh!_

_Never had much faith in love or miracles._

_Never wanna put my heart on the line._

_But swimming in your world is something spiritual._

_I'm born again every time you spend the night_

_Cause your love takes me to paradise_

_Yeah your love takes me to paradise_

_And it shows, yeah, yeah, yeah_

Glynda groaned even louder and Winter and General Ironwood widened their eyes at the fact that Weiss would ever sing this but Willow was straight-up loving this. All of the dresses they were wearing were short.

“ Should Oscar be seeing this right now?!” Blake asked in between her giggles.

Yang looked around to find Oscar, “ It's too late! He's already watching and recording!” She was definitely gonna ask him for a copy of it later.

  
  


_You bring me to my knees_

_You make me testify_

_You can make a sinner change his ways_

_Open up your gates cause I can't wait to see the light_

_And right there is where I wanna stay_

_Cause your love takes me to paradise_

_Yeah your love takes me to paradise_

Marrow winked at you as he did a little twirl and you giggled and winked back.

_And it shows, yeah, yeah, yeah_

_Cause you make feel like, I've been locked out of heaven_

_For too long, for too long_

_Yeah you make feel like, I've been locked out of heaven_

_For too long, for too long_

_Oh oh oh oh, yeah, yeah, yeah_

_Can I just stay here_

_Spend the rest of my days here_

_Oh oh oh oh, yeah, yeah, yeah_

_Can't I just stay here_

_Spend the rest of my days here_

Qrow walked off the stage and walked over to his boyfriend and played with his tie. He turned around, crouched down, bent over and brought himself back up with his ass going against Clover’s- OH.

“ THIS IS GONNA SCAR ME AND OSCAR!” Ruby screamed and everyone laughed at how red Clover’s face was and Qrow walked back to the stage after laughing himself.

_Cause you make feel like, I've been locked out of heaven_

_For too long, for too long_

_Yeah you make feel like, I've been locked out of heaven_

_For too long, for too long_

_Oh yeah yeah yeah_

_Ooh!_

_Oh yeah yeah_

_Oh yeah yeah yeah_

_Ooh!_

Everyone laughed, clapped and cheered as the boys and Weiss all did a bow then walked off the stage. The boys went to go change back into their formal wear. James went onto the stage once everyone calmed down, “ Uhm, well, that was a thing!” He laughed and shook his head at the boy's foolishness.

“ If everyone would like to partner up now, the dance will start.”

You heard someone clear their throat behind you and everyone who was looking at you had smirked, you turned around to find Marrow with his hand out, “ Would you like to dance?” He asked.

You giggled and gratefully took his hand, “ I'd love to.”

Everyone watched as he guided you to the middle of the dance floor, “ I thought you weren't coming?” He asked.

You chuckled, “ Guess there was a change of plans.” You responded and Marrow placed one hand on your back and kept the other entwined in yours. He took the lead.

Weiss and Winter sang the song. Both of their voices were beautiful together.

_You with the sad eyes_

_Don't be discouraged, oh I realize_

_It's hard to take courage_

_In a world full of people_

_You can lose sight of it all_

_The darkness inside you_

_Can make you feel so small_

_Show me a smile then_

_Don't be unhappy_

_Can't remember when_

_I last saw you laughing_

_This world makes you crazy_

_And you've taken all you can bear_

_Just call me up_

_'Cause I will always be there_

Your eyes locked onto each other, and gods could you just get trapped in those eyes forever. Blake and Yang were dancing together, same with Qrow and Clover and Ren and Nora.

You twirled under his arm and as you spun back around, he put his hands around your waist and dipped you. Then you were both back to your old position.

Screw, James. Screw anyone who tried to come in your way. This was all you wanted and more.

_And I see your true colours_

_Shining through_

_I see your true colours_

_And that's why I love you_

“ I love you.” You both whispered with the song and leaned in a little.

Everyone was watching you two now, The Ace-ops, and your friends who weren't dancing were smirking. James had a look of confusion on his face as he tried to figure out who was dancing with Marrow. He really was just dumb.

_So don't be afraid to let them show_

_Your true colours_

_True colours are beautiful_

_I see your true colours_

_Shining through (true colours)_

_I see your true colours_

_And that's why I love you_

_So don't be afraid to let them show_

_Your true colours_

_True colours are beautiful (they're beautiful)_

_Like a rainbow_

_Oh oh oh oh oh like a rainbow_

_Ooh can't remember when_

_I last saw you laughing_

_Ooh oh oh oh_

_This world makes you crazy_

_And you've taken all you can bear_

_Just call me up_

_'Cause I will always be there_

  
  


You twirled, waltzed and got dipped over and over. Maybe everything wasn't a childish dream, and you finally found your prince. 

You felt his breath on your lips. 

_And I see your true colours_

_Shining through_

_I see your true colours_

_And that's why I love you_

“ I love you,” he whispered again and your lips collided. Nothing around you two matter anymore, it was like he was the only warmth in Atlas’ frostiness. He warmed your heart, he warmed everything. 

The kiss was sweet, and it was like a fire was lit between you too. Everyone cheered as the song ended but some people were cheering at you and Marrow, “ HELL YES, MARROW!” Elm yelled but they still had no idea who he was kissing.

Marrow felt you smile after Elm yelled that and he brought his lips away from yours, the kiss leaving you both breathless, “ May I? I think they're too dumb to realize it's you.” Married said and his fingers were touching the corner of your mask. 

You already got everything you needed and more. It was Cinderella, you found your prince. It hit midnight, what was going to happen now? Your dress starts disappearing? Well it just hit 12:01 now, and it didn't disappear.

You nodded and he took off your mask. There were a few surprised gasps and you saw General Ironwood’s fists clench when he saw you.

He threw the mask at Xanthe and she caught it then gave it to Willow.

He cupped your cheek and you put your arms around his neck and you both dived back into the kiss and everyone cheered again. “ YEA, Y/N!” You heard Winter scream and your laugh broke the kiss and you rested your forehead on his.

After feeling the warmth of being in each other's embrace, he grabbed your hand and walked towards where the Ace-ops were.

You yelped and your hands departed when someone grabbed your other hand and pulled you through the crowd of Atlesians, “ Let me go!” You yelled but you couldn't see who was pulling you but you finally did when you were in an open space, away from the Ace-ops view, or team RWBY’s and JNPR’s.

“ What are you doing here!?” James hissed.

“ You can't just keep me in that fucking hospital, James!”

_“ General.”_

“ Yea, yea, whatever.” 

“ You are going back to that damn hospital.” His grip tightened on your hand and he was hurting you. “ I'm _not.”_ You yelled, causing the attention of a few Atlesians nearby and he growled.

He grabbed your wrist then turned around and started walking but the feeling of his hand made you gasp and a flood of memories came into your head. He heard the gasp and turned around and you looked like you just saw a ghost.

_Hands._

_A metal hand and a human hand._

_They were on your neck and they were holding you in the air on the edge of a rooftop. A 9 story building._

_They were stealing your Aura, you saw your Aura colour on their human hand, going inside their body and it was like oxygen was leaving your lungs. They were choking you, and your eyesight went blurry as you couldn't breathe anymore and you heard your own heartbeat._

_Their grip loosened on your neck and then they completely let go._

_You were falling._

“ LET ME GO!” You screamed and now a few more Atlesians were looking at you and James and you jerked your hand away from his grip.

“ Y/N, you look like you saw a ghost. Are you-”

“ Don't fucking ask If I'm okay! You tried to trap me in that hospital room!" There were a few surprised gasps

James chuckled nervously, “ Y/N!” He whispered through gritted teeth but it was so familiar. Why was it so familiar? Him saying your name through gritted teeth when you never heard him say your name like that again.

It scared you.

“ I'll leave.” You ran for the doors and Willow followed.

* * *

_You were being held by the neck and dangling in the sky as the person who was holding you stood on the edge of the roof, “ I wanted to do this ever since you came to Atlas.” They said, and...they sounded like...James._

_“ Let me go!” You breathed out but you regretted it as you were losing oxygen quickly._

_Their metal arm let go of your neck and grabbed a hold of your wrist._

_You screamed in pain as they broke your wrist, and they fucking laughed. Their metal arm went back to your neck and they were choking you again._

_You looked at their human arm and your Aura was spreading onto their arm then body. They were stealing your Aura..and by the looks of it, your semblance too. They chuckled, “ Nice semblance, I'll use it as my own.”_

_“..No.” You breathed out and then your vision went blurry as you couldn't breathe anymore and you heard your own heartbeat._

_Was that their semblance? Being able to steal people’s Auras and Semblances?_

_But that couldn't be, because they were also invisible. Unless they stole an invisibility semblance. Only their metal arm and human hand showed, but the arms were just like James’_

_Your scroll beeped and their human arm let go of you, at least they weren't taking your Aura anymore. But you still couldn't breathe and you were losing consciousness._

_They chuckled, “ May as well take this back, I'm sure the scientists can do something.” They took your scroll, “ But that's also my cue to go.”_

_And then they let you go. And you were falling, down, hitting things on the way, the remaining of your Aura shattered when you hit a railing from a balcony on the building and you continued to hit them until you landed on a car._

_Everything hurt. It hurt so bad. Then you closed your eyes and only opened them when you gained consciousness and you saw Robyn and Joanna._

_“ Stay with me, Y/N!” But Robyns's voice faded as you lost consciousness._

* * *

  
You sat on the hospital bed, knees pulled up to your chest and hiding your face in them as tears rolled down your cheeks. What was this? When did this happen? What was going on?! You started breathing heavily as the same memory ran through your head over and over and at one point you screamed.  
  


You knew James probably heard it, seeing as he followed you the entire way back to the hospital. He stayed back a few feet so you wouldn't notice him, but he wasn't that good of a spy and you noticed him quickly.  
  


Suddenly, you heard a click of the door and the door locked.

_  
He didn't just fucking lock the door._

You ran up to the hospital room door and tried opening it, but it was no use. “ YOU BITCH!” You screamed and tried to turn the door into glass but it wouldn't. Seriously? He only fucking followed you so you could stay in your damn room? That was bullshit!

“ Damnit!” You hissed. 

You sat back down on the bed and gave a frustrated scream. You couldn't stay here! This wasn't fucking fair! 

“ IF YOU'RE BY THE DOOR YOU MIGHT WANNA STAND BACK!”

“ Wha-”

A glyph formed around the handle of the door and the door flung open and you yelped. Willow came in, “ Willow?! GIVE ME A WARNING NEXT TIME!”

“ I did! But we have to get you out of here!” She yelled and wiped the dust that came from the door, off her clothes. 

“ Why?” You asked. You did want to leave but she was saying it as if there was a problem. She sat down beside you on the bed, “ Long story short; You were attacked and your assailant stole 93% of your Aura.” You were not expecting that.

You widened your eyes, “ So that's what the memory was!” You muttered to yourself and Willow looked at you confused.

It pissed you off, why the fuck would everyone hide that from you?! Your fists clenched and your face turned red with anger. James, someone you've trusted ever since the day you and him made amends after yelling at him in the Vault. You ran into him in the garden. James, someone Willow has known for years, but perhaps she doesn't know who he is anymore.

“ Why would they hide this from me? This isn't something you fucking keep from someone!” You slammed your fist down on the bed but your wrist still hurt a little.

“ Hear me out. What if James attacked you?” Willow may have had a point because It all made sense now, why you had that memory when he grabbed your wrist. The memory showed that their arm was metal and they sounded just like James. It had to have been him. 

“ Will-Willow. I need to get out of this hospital.” You weren't safe here, you weren't safe at all if James was your assailant.

“ I have an idea.” Willow took your hand and stood up then you yelped as she started running towards the garden on the roof, “ Willow!” Your voice shakes from her running, “ Why are we going to the roof!?”

“You're jumping off!”

“ WHAT!?” You screamed and she stopped when you both reached the edge of the roof, “ Do you trust me?” She yelled over the rushing wind and the wind made you shiver.

A doctor ran to the garden and you both looked at him as he started running at you two, “ Do you!?” 

“DAMN YOU WILLOW!”

* * *

  
“ James, you can't lock her in there.” Clover deadpanned after James explained that he FUCKING LOCKED YOU IN A HOSPITAL ROOM

James walked in circles, “ I know- I know- Fuck, I just don't know what to do. She had a panic attack at the ball and- Ugh, I wasn't thinking!”  
  


Clover grabbed James’ hand, dragging him to the hospital room, “You're apologizing to her.”  
  


But when they got there, your door was on the ground and rocks and pebbles were by it, “ Y/N?” Clover yelled and James checked under the door. 

James knew this all too familiar, it did happen to him a few days ago. 

“ MISS, L/N! GET DOWN FROM THERE!” They heard your doctor yell from the roof and they didn't hesitate to run.

They found you standing there and smirking, “ There’s something called glyphs.” You yelled over the rushing wind and you jumped off. 

As you were falling and getting, closer, and closer to the ground. 5 glyphs formed and you jumped on each of them then landed on the grass and did a roll, “ And she sticks the landing!” You mumbled, “ Now just to find a place to lay low.” And you STILL had your glass slippers on. 

“ WHAT THE FUCK!” Clover yelled as you jumped down and you disappeared into the fog. “ We need to get down there!” James yelled but before they could turn around, they heard the doctor yelp and the sound of doors slamming.

Clover trained with Winter and Weiss enough to know what the other sound was.

a Glyph.

They turned around slowly to find Willow Schnee, standing there with a Glyph under her and behind her. She was holding the same fire dust crystal- where the fuck does she keep getting these crystals from?

She tossed the crystal up into the air then caught it and tossed it up again and continued to do so, “ I let you off last time, General.”

Clover and James gulped.

“ Don't think I'll let you off this time.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs: Locked out of Heaven by Glee Cast, and True Colours by Anna Kendrick.
> 
> I want to make those who were bitches in V7 and acting like ones right now in V8, nice in this story.


	47. Missing

Willow was smirking and Ironwood turned back to the edge of the roof, he would and will never get used to you jumping off a roof, he never fucking will. He felt sick, how would you even land? You didn't have Hush and you could die because you didn't have all of your Aura.

“ Glyphs,” Willow answered one of his silent questions and he turned back to her, “ I used my Glyphs to help her get down, she's fine, but you won't be fine after this.” And like that, a glyph went under a chair in the seating area in the garden and it went flying towards him and Clover.

* * *

_Ice Princess: Where are Clover and General Ironwood?_

_Xanthe: I have no idea._

_Lucky-Charm: I'm on my way to the hospital to see Y/N._

_Birb man: Whoever she was screaming at earlier, she must have been hella pissed. But the fact she said, “ Let me go.” scared me._

_Miko: When I was at the hospital and Y/N had her nightmare, she screamed, “ Let me go.” like she did at the ball._

_Hammer Time: I still cant fucking believe Marrow and Y/N kissed!_

_Gotta Go Fast: WOOHOO! MARROW! YOU FINALLY PASSED FIRST BASE._

_Hammer Time: I wonder when they're gonna start cuddling._

_Marrow: Oh, shut up!_

_( Hammer Time changed Marrow’s nickname to Doggo.)_

_Doggo: I'm fine with that._

_( Xanthe changed Miko’s nickname to Telepathic dude.)_

_( Telepathic dude changed Xanthe’s nickname to Goldie.)_

_Goldie: Really? Goldie?_

_Telepathic dude: ur name is related to gold sooooo_

_Goldie: Mm._

_Lucky-Charm: WINTER COME CALM DOWN YOUR MOTHER_

_Stretchy Man: She's sleeping._

_Birb man: She won't be soon._

_Gotta Go Fast: Qrow is walking to her room with a bucket of water._

_Crater Face: ICE WATER FOR ICE QUEEN!_

_Gotta Go Fast: Oh, wow, she kicked him and went back to sleep. Wait nvm, she poured the water on him. Now she's going to sleep._

_Hammer Time: LMFAO I GOT IT ALL ON VIDEO_

_Lucky-Charm: WEISS COME TO THE HOSPITAL AND CALM YOUR DAMN MOTHER DOWN!_

_Ice princess: What did she do?_

_Lucky-Charm: JUST COME! I’M RISKING MY LIFE JUST TEXTING YOU_

_Birb man: Excuse me?_

_Ice princess: Omw._

* * *

Clover and James dodged whatever Willow had thrown at them, either it be a vase, pots with flowers in them, chairs at the seating area, or even the damn garden doors. When Willow was close enough to James, she punched him and she was surprisingly strong for someone who hasn't fought in decades.

“ Willow!” James yelled and he put a hand over his now bleeding nose, “ What are you doing?!”

“You're her assailant.” Clover looked at James wide-eyed from Willow’s words, “ You are?!”

“ No, I'm not!” His Aura flickered when Willow used a glyph on a door and sent it flying towards James. They've been maybe what, fighting for 6 minutes now? Well, it wasn’t really fighting since Clover and James weren't using their weapons, but she was _not_ holding back.

She just needed to fight them long enough for you to find a place to lay low. And she also really wanted to punch James for all the shit he's done to you. James, someone she's known since they were just babies, is now someone she doesn't know at all. 

“ Willow, Stop!” 

So this was what a sober Willow Schnee was like when being a total-badass, got it.

“ She trusted you! And you just turned her back on her!” She growled and sent another pot with flowers at Clover, heh, it even had some clovers in it. “ You were her friend! And you just decide to make her call you General! You bitch. She didn't think for a moment that you could attack her!” James’ stomach turned at the thought of him attacking you. She was right, he made you call him General when you were still friends with him, yet he wasn't friends with you, but he knew deep inside that he still was.

Was that what everyone thought during this month? That he attacked you but everyone was so afraid to say anything and thought that he would attack them if they said something? It made him sick just to think that.

“ She's safe here-

“ She's not safe from _you_!” Her words echoed throughout his head, perhaps, she was right…you weren't safe from him.

Clover unclipped Kingfisher from his belt and extended it, “ Clover, we are not fighting her with our weapons!” James said but Clover shook his head and pointed Kingfisher at James.

“ Clover..?” Clover hated the way James’ voice cracked at his name, but if he was really your assailant, then he had no choice, but to attack him.

Clover got closer and closer to James. James didn't want to fight him, he didn't want to _ever_ fight his friend. So he wasn't. “ Clover.” He put his hands up and there were tears in his eyes. Clover never saw him like this, “ Please.” James didn't even care if he sounded pathetic, “ Please, Clover. I didn't attack her. I am not her assailant. I care for Y/N like she's a daughter to me. “ There was something in James’ voice that made Clover believe him and lower his weapon.

Willow’s grip tightened on the crystal and a glyph formed around it“ WOAH WOAH WOAH!” Clover put his hands out then dropped Kingfisher when he knew what she was trying to do. 

But it didn't stop her from throwing the crystal at them and the Glyph following. Clover ran to James and they both knew this was gonna hurt. They crouched down and shut their eyes tight.

But nothing happened.

“ Mother!” They heard Weiss’s voice and they opened their eyes to see that Weiss had caught the crystal. The fierceness in Willow’s eyes had gone away and she looked around to see the mess she made in the garden.

“ So this is what I'm like when I'm sober,” she whispered to herself and Weiss chuckled. Clover and James widened their eyes in disbelief at how a woman who threw a dust crystal at them, suddenly felt bad for the mess she's made. 

Willow calmed down and so did Weiss. 

James remembered when Jacques had tested Weiss to see if she would be able to go to an Academy. An Arma Gigas. Jacques fucking got his secretary to find an Arma Gigas which was way taller than Weiss and way stronger.

He and Winter watched from afar to see if she could beat it.

He remembered how much she just wanted to separate herself from her family. He didn't know which Academy she wanted to go to, he was hoping that she would choose Atlas Academy. He knew how much Winter wanted her to go to the Academy too, so she could visit her.

His eyes widened when the Arma Gigas sword slashed at her and she fell back, her Aura shimmered. He remembered the fear that washed over him and wanted to scream at Jacques to take the Arma Gigas away but he didn't when he saw Weiss getting up, blood on the side of her face which rolled down her eye. He winced and thought she would have quit, but she didn't and continued to fight the Arma Gigas until it was gone.

_Yes!_ He thought to himself when he saw Weiss deliver the final blow to the Arma Gigas and he almost laughed at Jacques’ reaction. His mouth was hanging right open and he looked angry. James just loved seeing Jacques like that. Weiss proved herself to him.

“ Beacon Academy!” She announced and James saw and felt a sadness wash over Winter. He put a hand on her shoulder, “ She'll be fine, and you can always go visit her.” he assured and she gave a smile but it wasn't a smile that he saw every day from her.

“ Let's go get cupcakes.” He told her and she laughed a little. He knew she was happy just from her laugh.

He remembered when Winter and Weiss had accidentally calmed him ‘dad’. He didn't expect it at all but also didn't call them out on their mistake. He was like another parental figure to the girls. More of a parent than their own father.

James stood up from his crouched position and so did Clover, “ Willow, hear me out.” The fierceness was back and it made him flinch but Weiss held her hand and she calmed down, “ Fine.” 

“ Y/N is like a daughter to me. I'm not her assailant and I care for her so much. Your right, I did make her call me General and I realized that it was a gigantic mistake. She's still my friend.” Weiss has never seen the General like this, on the verge of tears and his voice was cracking.

She sighed, “ You really do care for her, don't you?” He nodded his head, “ Like I said, I care for her like a daughter.” She calmed down at his words, “ I believe you.”

He made a sigh of relief when she said that. “Oh thank goodness!” Clover yelled and James chuckled.

“ We still need to find Y/N.” James said, “ I'll text the others.” Weiss pulled out her scroll.

* * *

_Ice princess: @everyone_

_Bookworm: ITS 2 AM YOU BITCH_

_Lucky-Charm: LANGUAGE_

_Birb man: You weren't saying that last night._

_Thunderbolt: EW_

_Firecracker: Damn, I think that's the first time Blake has ever swore._

_Ice princess: Y/N is missing._

_Firecracker: Oh crap._

* * *

Everyone left the Academy and started to look for you, but no luck.

“ Any luck?” Clover asked as he had his finger pressed to his earpiece.

_“ Me, Weiss and the Bees can't find them.”_ Ruby responded.

_“ Bees?” Vine’s voice appeared next._

_“ Blake and Yang’s attack name is called bumblebee so we just call them the bees when they're together.”_

_“ Ah, that makes sense.”_

“ Elm, have you and JNR found her?” Clover asked.

“ Nope. No luck.”

James grunted, “ Where could she have gone!?” Qrow put a hand on his shoulder, “ It'll be fine. We can continue to look for her tomorrow. If she's in Mantle, we can put an alert out that she's missing. 

James nodded, “ Let's go.” Clover said and he heard a few of the kids saying “okay” in his earpiece. 

You made a sigh of relief when you finally found the place. It was the house that Samantha bought with the Fang’s fortune while you were in Argus. It was hidden behind one of the gigantic hills on Atlas so no one could see it. There weren't even any cameras in the area.

You walked up to the house and it was gigantic, you noticed that the lights were on in the house. You walked up to the door and decided to press the button on the intercom, if someone was there then they would have answered.

“ H- Oh, Y/N! Come in!” You heard Samantha say and you heard the door beep and you opened the door. The living room had a chandelier hanging above it and a big round couch that could fit 8 people. There was a Napolean fireplace and a pretty big TV above it. The kitchen had marble countertops and the cabinets were wood and painted white. There were spiral stairs that led upstairs and team XMAS walked down them.

“ What are you doing here?” You asked, “ We come here sometimes when it's movie night.” Xanthe responded and you hummed and nodded your head.

“ Clover, told us that you went missing.” Miko said and you chuckled, “ Yea, I, uh, needed to get away from James.”

“ Why?” Zedd asked.

You all sat down in the living room and you told them about what James did. Trying to keep you in the hospital, locking your room door, and how he was possibly your assailant. They all said they would talk to Ironwood the next day.

Then they told you that they knew you were attacked.

“ So, you knew?” You asked and they all nodded, “ We thought General Ironwood was going to tell you after a while, but I guess not.” Xanthe said

You sighed, “ If Ironwood is my assailant, then I need to stay here, so you all can’t tell anyone I'm here.” They all nodded.

“ Give me a tour of the house.” They all chuckled then got up and you followed them.

There was a gigantic training courtyard, and 4 bedrooms with 4 beds in each. Such elegant bathrooms that could have blinded you. 

When Jaune amplified your Aura, it would have come back, but since the person who attacked you isn't dead, they have your Aura, and you were gonna have to regenerate a whole new Aura if you wanted to use your semblance and be able to fight again.

“ Here.” You turned to Xanthe and she was holding Hush, “ May found Hush when she was walking around Mantle. We tried to scan it for any fingertips but everything came blank other than your own fingertips.” You grabbed Hush and it felt so good to hold her again.

“ if we're gonna regenerate your Aura, then training starts tomorrow,” Samantha said and you nodded.

You weren't going back to that Academy, not until there's proof that he isn't your assailant. James, your friend, someone you trust, someone who gave you your Huntress license early, was now no one to you. “ General Ironwood.” He made you call him. Was everything you have both been through, just nothing?

* * *

2 weeks had passed and you didn't go back to the Academy, everyone used their free time to try and find you but they just couldn't. It was like you vanished into thin air.

James locked himself in his office and didn't leave, he actually slept in there. Regret built up in him as each day passed, he felt so bad, he tried to trap you in a damn hospital and he locked you in your own room. And you jumped off a fucking roof to escape him.

He had the locks on his doors engaged and his 4th bottle of Vacuo’s golden whiskey was on his desk. He checked the cameras to see who was outside of his room when his intercom had beeped, Qrow.

“ Hey, Jimbo.” He heard Qrow say,“ Can I come in?” James disengaged the locks.

Qrow widened his eyes when he came in, books were scattered across the floor and the entire room smelled like alcohol and Qrow tried his best not to think anything of it.

James knew he shouldn't even be within 200 feet of Qrow when he smelt like alcohol. Qrow sat down beside James and noticed the bottles of whiskey, but he didn't comment on it and rested his shoulder on James’ human shoulder, “ We’ll find her. I promise.” 

  
  


Qrow went on a mission with Clover later that day but Clover got hurt by a Manticore and it just pained Qrow when he saw it happen in front of him. He remembered Clover bleeding out and collapsing into his arms. Qrow shot at the Manticore and Ruby finished it off with her Scythe.

Qrow isn’t good at keeping people he loves. He isn’t good at keeping things that he so desperately wants. He was only good at ruining what he’s got happening for him. Losing what he loves, and his heart just aches from all of it. He knows that he has to separate himself from anyone he falls in love with or just cares about. It was always why he didn't come by much to see Ruby and Yang much, but it also pained him to stay away from them.

But then he met Clover, that lucky damn bastard, the person who complimented him every day and made him feel like he was flying. His semblance could block out Qrow’s, but he knew that his semblance would still remain there, waiting for a chance to strike. And of course, it struck on Clover. 

When he finally found love again, his semblance had to come in the way of it. He really was just a bad luck charm. When Qrow got to the hospital, he gulped when he saw Clover sitting on his hospital bed in the room, alone. Qrow wanted to run, he knew everything was his fault, but his semblance went off again when Clover saw him at his door. 

“ Qrow!” Clover called and Qrow cursed to himself and walked in, “ Hey.” He said nervously and sat down on the chair closest to his bed and Clover rested his hand on Qrow’s.

This was gonna be hard. 

“ You know, you're stunning when you fight.” Clover said and Qrow snorted.

“ Only when I'm fighting?” He asked and Clover knew his game.

“ Well, you're gorgeous every single day I see you.” 

Gods this was gonna be so hard.

Qrow knew that this was his fault, he knew that Clover’s hospitalization was because of his bad luck, so now he has to do what he's always done. Qrow removed his hand slowly from Clover’s and Clover looked at him confused. “ Clover..I'm sorry.”

His confusion grew even more, “ What are you sorry for?”

“ My Semblance was the reason for why the Manticore attacked you and-”

“ Qrow. It wasn't your semblance, nothing was your fault, I just didn't see the Manticore coming.” Clover cupped Qrow’s cheek. Qrow leaned into the touch but quickly stopped.

Qrow couldn't even say the next few words, he knew it would hurt so much. A tear rolled down his cheek and he closed his eyes and he felt Clover’s thumb trace over the mark the tear left. “ Qrow, I'm fine, you don't have to cry.” Clover’s voice was so soft and caring and it just made Qrow cry even more.

He finally formed the words and got them out of his mouth, “ I want to break up.”

Clover felt his heart shatter, he loved Qrow so, so much. He felt like he finally found someone he could truly love forever. Qrow looked up and it broke his heart to see Clover’s shattered face.

“ I-Q-Qrow, I know you think it was your semblance and you're upset, but breaking up with me won't make it better.” Clover cupped Qrow’s face and Qrow had to resist to lean into the touch. “ Just- Just kiss me.” He whispered and his lips were against Qrow’s. But Qrow wasn't kissing back.

“ Clover. Please, let me go.” Qrow didn't mean to sound so pathetic.

Clover shook his head, “ I won't, and I will never never let go of you, because I love you.” Of course, the first time one of them says the L-word, it's during a breakup. 

“ Everything that happened was a tragedy, this love is a tragedy.”

“ If our love is a tragedy then why are you my remedy?” Clover couldn't lose anyone else, “ Please, Qrow. You're all I have left, I already lost my past team and family.” 

“ Sometimes you have to do what's best for those you love, even if it means making tough decisions.” Qrow took a hold of Clover’s hands and took them away from his face and stood up.

“ Qrow, wait, please!” Clover stood up from his bed and tried his best to follow Qrow but his leg hurt pretty bad from the Manticore. He got to the door of his room and already saw that Qrow was down the hall, “ Qrow!” He yelled desperately but Qrow didn't even stop or turn or say anything.

“ Even if it hurts like hell.” Qrow whispered to himself and he quietly sobbed as he walked away and ignored Clover’s desperate yells.

* * *

Samantha fired 3 arrows at you with her bow and arrow. You opened Hush up and dodged them all.

You were able to regenerate 57% of a new Aura.

“ Good Job!” Samantha said and she high fived you. 

“ So, when are you gonna go talk to your friends again?” Miko said and you sighed.

You felt utterly betrayed by the fact that everyone knew you were attacked yet they didn't tell you, Willow was the only one, and it even hurt more when you found out that your Aura was gone. You weren't gonna give up on being the one thing you loved the most, so you regenerated a whole new Aura with the help of team XMAS and training.

You couldn't face everyone at the Academy not yet, and it just pained you to have to stay away from Marrow.

“ Soon.” You replied and went back into the house from the courtyard.

“ Y/N!” Xanthe called and ran up to you, “ What is it?” You asked.

“ Qrow’s on his way here.”

“ WHAT?!” Your voice echoed throughout the house and Xanthe flinched, “ He got Pietro to track my scroll. He's coming alone.”

“ Did he say why?” You asked but she shook her head.

The intercom in the hall beeped and you walked up to a computer so you could look at who was at the front door. it was Qrow. Qrow was fidgeting, “ I know you're watching.” He said and you pressed a button on the intercom.

“ How’d you know I was here?” You asked.

“ Well I was flying earlier and I saw Xanthe walking behind some cliff.” Team XMAS looked at you confused, “ _Fly?”_ Zedd mouthed but you ignored it.

“ Did you know? Did you know I was attacked?” You asked and you saw Qrow’s face fall on the camera. “ Yes, I did. But I swear I was going to tell you-”

“ That's bullshit and you know it.” Qrow knew you were right and he winced.

“ That's not just something you hide from someone. I spent like what? 2 weeks in that hospital after I woke up, and not knowing why I was there in the first place. We agreed on no more lies.”

“ I know and I'm sorry.”

You noticed the stains of tears on his cheeks and that there were some in his eyes, “ I broke up with Clover.” You didn't hesitate to press a button so he could open the door. You walked down the spiral stairs and Qrow was there. “ Hey-” You yelped when he was suddenly hugging you, “ I've been worried sick about you!” You chuckled and hugged him back.

He told you about everything, on how his semblance hurt Clover yet you knew it didn't. And that he broke up with him because he didn't want to hurt him.

You sighed and sat down beside Qrow on the couch, “ Qrow, it wasn't your fault.”

“ But it was my fault. I've already told you that I made a deal with the darkness, and everyone I love, pays the price.” You shook your head, he really was just stubborn.

He ate out of the bucket of ice cream, wow he was really sad about this.

You knew how much he loved Clover, and he finally thought that he had someone he could truly love, but of course, he thinks his semblance came in the way.

“ So, when are you coming back to the Academy?” You knew for a fact that Qrow wasn't going back to the Academy until his week off was done. Qrow didn't tell General Ironwood everything, he just said he needed a break and the General gave it to his friend.

“ Not until there's proof that he isn't my assailant.” Qrow groaned and he knew you weren't ever going back until there's proof, no matter how much he begs or asks, you wouldn't go back.

“ Might as well send a letter to Tai while I'm here, and just tell him about my miserable breakup.” He said. Coco was always great at helping people after a breakup, there was this one time when Velvet’s boyfriend broke up with her, and Coco didn't leave her side for _days._ She was great at helping people with breakups.

Wait

That was it. 

“ A Letter!” Qrow looked at you surprised and you stood up from the couch then went in front of him and walked around, “ I have a way for you to get over your breakup with Clover!” You actually just needed him to see that his semblance didn't cause anything.

“ How?” He asked, muffled from the ice cream in his mouth.

“ You said ”letter”. So remember when Team CFVY sent me that letter?” You asked and he nodded, confused.

“ So my friend Coco is great with breakups-”

“ Y/N.”

“ Just hear me out!” 

You took a big breath. Team XMAS and the Huntresses were even listening in.

“ We are going to Vacuo!”

They all looked at you in disbelief and after a heartbeat, Qrow howled with laughter.

“ How- How would we even get there?” He asked in between his laughs.

“ I'm not hearing a no.” 

He stopped laughing and his face became serious, the sudden change made you flinch, “ Y/N, I only have 4 days off. And we can't just get an Airship and go to Vacuo. Do you not remember that you are missing? Oh, and a radar.”

He still wasn't saying no.

“ Actually.” Zedd came into the conversation, “ We have an Airship behind the house. And I can use my semblance to hide you guys from the radar.” Qrow glared at him, “ Great!” Your eyes lit up and you smiled, “ Now we just need a pilot.”

“ Maria,” Xanthe answered the problem and Qrow glared at her, “ Okay, Qrow. You need to go back to the Academy and get our stuff.” You said.

“ Were not actually doing this! Are we?” He asked in disbelief and you smirked, “ We are.” You said and he groaned, “ There's no changing your mind.” He stood up from the couch and headed for the door. 

“ Check my closet and there should be a pink leather jacket with the Fang’s emblem on the back of it.” He rolled his eyes and nodded, “ Pink leather jacket from the Fang. Got it.” He said then left.

“ So why out of the blue, did you say Vacuo?” Miko asked. “ To be honest, I need a break from Atlas. And the Wasteland is just what I need. Plus, Team CFVY and SSSN are trying to solve something so I might as well go help.” They all shrugged and just let you be you.

Vacuo seemed like a calming place, but it really wasn't, yet it was a really open place so Qrow could fly around. Samantha went to Vacuo after her boyfriend broke up with her, and she felt better after 2 damn days. Plus, Qrow would love team CFVY and SSSN.

* * *

It was night when Qrow came back with 2 bags, “ One of them has snacks because we are not going on a 1-day fucking flight to Vacuo with no food.” Yep, it was a 1-day flight to get from Atlas to Vacuo. 

You both walked to the back of the house to find Maria already standing by an Airship, “ Let's go!” She yelled and you three got into the Airship, “ You think you can do it?” You asked Zedd and he nodded, “ My semblance has never failed me before.” He replied.

“ You ready?” You turned to Maria and Qrow and they both nodded, yet Qrow couldn't believe he was doing this right now. Vacuo, out of all the places In remnant, you chose Vacuo. Qrow wasn't a fan of the wasteland, though he hadn't been there much, the current Summer Maiden went missing years ago after she graduated, so he had no reason to go. 

“ We can also check if any other of Salem’s people are there. “ And help with Team CFVY and this ‘Crown’ shit, but you didn't add that. 

“ Okay, Maria, let's go.” She nodded and the Airship went up into the air. 

“ You can do it, Zedd.” Samantha put a hand on his shoulder and he concentrated on the Airship. A transparent orb formed in between his hands, it looked like a liquid and moved like one, but if you touched it, your hand would turn invisible.

He focused on the Airship and then pushed his hands out and the orb became bigger and flew towards the Airship. 

You breathed out a laugh when you were passing the Atlas Militaries ships and they didn't shoot. His semblance worked.

“ Vacuo, here we come.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this seems very rushed, I promise the next chapters won't be.


	48. Vacuo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: The next few chapters are spoilers for RWBY: Before the Dawn.

“ This city seems like it's all alleys,” Qrow said as he kicked some sand but then coughed as the sand went in his face. 

You were both in Vacuo now, you told Maria to give a note that Qrow wrote to the General, in exactly 5 days to tell him where you both were. Then Maria went back to Atlas. Even though Qrow only has 2 and a half days left of his week off, he's gonna need a _lot_ of time here so he can get over Clover. And 5 days should be enough if Coco was gonna help him.

“ It _is_ all alleys.” You informed. Qrow didn't go to Vacuo much, he had no reason to, the Summer Maiden disappeared almost 5 or more year's ago. Plus, he didn't like the wasteland, Vacuo didn't have anything to offer, other than sand and dehydration. 

“ It is?” He asked and looked around the streets- well alleys- of Vacuo. You nodded, “ Vacuo wasn't planned, like Vale, or engineered, like Atlas. The city just happened on its own. People settled wherever they stopped moving, or just found a safe place. Then, the city of Vacuo just randomly sprouted around Shade.” 

He hummed, “ Can you even see anything?” He asked, it was 6:27 AM, so it was kind of dark out, though it was a full moon. “ Yep.” You said and pointed to the Night Vision glasses you had on. You chuckled, “ Just follow me.”

Vacuo was a pretty big city, Qrow would have turned into a bird and flew up into the air to try and get to Shade, but he didn't know if anyone was lurking and watching in the shadows.

You both continued to walk, Vacuo was a pretty big city, this entire city was basically a bunch of settlements merged in one. “ I tried to find some of my old friends, but they're gone.”

“ It's Vacuo. You always say that people leave all the time.” Qrow had a point, you always did say people leave to find new settlements because it was, well, Vacuo. 

Vacuo was like a home to you, especially because it had those who understood you. If you can survive in Vacuo, then you're welcomed there. That's the motto, and it's one you always followed. Vacuo was the place you used to go on missions the most in the Fang. 2 years straight, technically 3 if you count right now. So you knew a lot about Vacuo.

You shook your head, “ They didn't leave, they vanished. Police haven't been doing shit, I checked the weeping wall when you were getting food and there are like, 50 people missing.” 

He winced at the results and you nodded your head in agreement, “ Police aren't very reliable here though, so I'm not surprised.” You added.

“ Wait, what's the weeping wall?” Qrow asked.

“ A place where you put papers down of missing people.” 

“ It has a horrible name.”

“ They probably can't even hold things without Theodore’s and Rumpole’s help in trying to keep everything peaceful.” Qrow said, “ Also, do you have another pair of those glasses-” Qrow was interrupted by a thud and you looked to your side and saw that he walked into a wall and fell. You laughed a little and shook your head, “ No, but I'm sure my friend has a spare one.”

He brushed the sand off of his clothes, “ Aren't you supposed to survive on your own here?” He asked. You always explained to the others that you were supposed to survive on your own in Vacuo, “ Well yes, but being able to survive in Vacuo isn't just some talent, it's a necessity. But Vacuans still tend to help others, either a stranger or someone in their tribe.” 

“ Speaking of Vacuo, do you know where we're going?” He asked and you rolled your eyes, “ You don't?” It was pretty easy to see where Shade Academy was.

Vacuo had a _little_ order to it, the government didn't do much here. Vacuo had different districts on where residences or businesses are, either there's a wide street with a supermarket in the middle or a bunch of houses with some random business by it. But the outer edges were always wiped out by earthquakes, sand storms, sinkholes, and occasionally, a giant Grimm would slip under Vacuo’s outer wall and destroy anything near it. Or Ravagers would attack from the sky. Or maybe a rainstorm, though it barely rained in Vacuo, it would be rare if one came, and it would also be a mixed blessing. There would be water for days or the water would wipe away shelters or an entire settlement. It was Good luck and Bad luck. Life and Death. That was Vacuo.

You groaned,“ This is the exact reason why I didn't attend Shade. If you just look up, it's there.” He did as you said and looked up, you could see Shade Academy. Vacuo buildings weren't very tall, just a few stories, but Shade was _tall_ , so each time you looked up, it was always there.

“ Seeing it is easy. Getting there is another.” He rolled his eyes.

You and Qrow continued to walk around and he sometimes stopped because he needed to catch his breath because it was too hot, “ You should have just done what I did.” You changed clothes completely, you had a white Zip Back Satin Crop Cami Top and white flare pants. At night, it got cold, even in Vacuo, so you had your White Fang jacket over your shoulder. Team SSSN and CFVY knew you were in the White Fang, is it didn't matter if you wore it around them.

“ You should have just changed clothes, we're in a desert.”

“ Shut up.”

You both continued to walk and Qrow just took in the sight of sand, rocks, pebbles, not very tall buildings, and even more sand. He had gotten so used to Atlas, just he was now in a place that was the complete opposite of Atlas., “ I can't believe Vacuo’s only valuable thing, was dust.” He scoffed.

You whistled, “ Spoken like a true outsider. If you want Vacuans to trust you, then don't say crap like that. And also remember to never tell anyone we came from Atlas.”

“ Why?” He asked

“ Vacuans don't care if you're a Faunus or Human, but they do care about where you come from. They don't trust outsiders. At. All.” He nodded his head slowly.

You pulled out the scroll that Xanthe gave you before you left, 7:30 Am, “ Are we there yet?” Qrow asked and you stopped in your tracks, “ Look up.” He looked up and you were both right in front of Shade, “ Oh, wow.” He was looking down the entire time and just following your footsteps, it was probably why he kept running into walls or street poles too.

You smiled when you started to hear laughter from a few familiar voices, “ It's 7:30, which means breakfast. Follow me.” 

* * *

“You can stop laughing, Coco.” Sun sighed. “Anytime now.”

“I’m not laughing,” Coco said, innocently sipping her coffee. She took a sip but then started laughing again and she spit out her coffee and it hit Sage, “ Sorry!” She winced and Sage chuckled, “ It's fine.” He responded and got a tissue then wiped the coffee off of his really, really jacked stomach. 

Team SSSN and CFVY always had breakfast in the lower courtyard before class. Velvet was telling everyone about a misadventure she had with Sun and Yatsu, a few hours ago, and Coco was loving the entire story. 

“Okay, stop smiling, then,” Sun glared at her.

“I thought boys liked it when girls smiled.” She replied.

“For some reason when you do it, it isn’t friendly. It looks like a threat.” Sun said. Yatsu nodded solemnly. Her smile was always scary. 

“You have to admit,” Neptune turned to Sun and snickered, “ You getting beat up by

three random thugs, on your own turf, is really funny. Wish I’d been there.” From the hard edge in Neptune’s voice, everyone wondered if he meant he wished he’d been there to watch more than help. But Sun didn't have the insight to see that.

Team SSSN had came to Vacuo a month ago, and Sage, Neptune, and Scarlet weren't liking Vacuo at all. Sun had already felt like he was home. Though Team SSSN haven't been going through some good...things...right now, they were all mad at Sun for leaving to chase after Blake.

Or to chase after a girl, they all said, but Sun always said that Blake needed a friend.

So yeah, Team SSSN wasn't doing very well right now. Sage glared at Sun and Scarlet was giving Sun the silent treatment, Neptune seemed fine but he was a little distant from him now.

“I’m telling you, there was something really weird about those guys!” Sun protested, “They were unbeatable.”

Yatsu and Velvet nodded in agreement, “ No matter how hard we hit them, they just wouldn't go down.” Velvet said.

It had been a month since team CFVY’s mission out in the desert at Feldspar, and they were still trying to find out who was stealing powerful semblances.

Team CFVY called them, ‘ The Crown.’ and it was better then, ‘ Carmine and Bertilak’s mystery employer.’

Sun had suggested that his team would help CFVY with the crown, but Coco was hesitant.

“ Look Sun, I'm sorry about your missing friends.” Wow, Coco wasn't being sarcastic for once, “ And I appreciate your offer to help us with the Crown. But the only help we need right now is from Headmaster Theodore and Professor Rumpole.” Coco had been trying to talk to Headmaster Theodore the entire month, and Rumpole was brushing Team CFVY off when they kept requesting a meeting with the Headmaster. 

Either Professor Rumpole hadn't passed on the message, or Headmaster Theodore just didn't think it was worth his time. Coco tried to stay patient, but everyone knew that Coco was the most impatient person on Remnant.

Scarlet lifted his head and finally talked, “Hold on, are you saying you don’t have permission to investigate the Crown?” He asked.

“We don’t _not_ have permission,” Fox smirked.

“We don’t have explicit orders to pursue the Crown, no,” Coco said but everyone knew she wasn't finished, “But I see this as an expansion of our original mission to support the Schist refugees. It’s unfinished business.” Carmine and Bertilak were still out there, and the Crown-if that’s who they were working for- was obviously a gigantic threat.

But why couldn't Headmaster Theodore and Professor Rumpole see that?

“But it is our business,” Coco added. “We don’t need you. No offense.”

Scarlet scoffed. “Why would I take offense?” he asked. “Just because you think you’re too good for us.” Coco glanced at her team. Velvet didn't look at her, which meant she wasn’t on the same page this time. Yatsu Looked uncomfortable, but he was always like this during personal conflicts. And Fox was-

_“It wouldn’t hurt to have some reinforcements,”_ Fox sent, just to her. _“I don’t disagree,” Coco sent back. “If it was the right team.”_

“That’s fine. We hadn’t even discussed this yet, since Sun only sprang the idea on us this morning,” Scarlet said.

Team CFVY blinked. Sometimes it took Coco a second to process things when she was having a telepathic conversation with Fox in the middle of a regular conversation with other people. Was Scarlet saying SSSN wasn’t offering to help? Did SSSN even have a plan? Sun wasn't the best of leaders, seriously, Jaune was a better leader than him. 

“We’ll let you know when we need backup,” Coco added. “This is a major problem, and I don’t understand why Theodore and Rumpole don’t see that finding the Crown should be Shade’s biggest priority right now.” Why does the crown need powerful semblances?

“Theo has a lot on his mind,” Sun announced.

“Theo?” Everyone repeated incredulously and Scarlet just rolled his eyes, well his one eye that wasn't being covered by his hair. “Headmaster Theodore,” Sun said.

“I know who you meant. I didn’t know that you were on such familiar terms with him. You just got here.” Coco said.

_“And you’re not exactly the best and brightest student at Shade,”_ she added silently.

_“Harsh,”_ Fox sent.

Okay, so maybe she hadn’t thought completely silent enough.

“ _But fair.”_ He added.

“When we arrived, Theodore wanted an update on everything that went

down in Mistral,” Sun said. “He asked why we came to Shade instead of waiting for Haven to reopen.”

“I’ve been wondering that myself,” Sage muttered. 

“Hey, I agreed to come because you talked up how much fun Vacuo is,” Neptune said. “Has Vacuo been fun so far?” Sage asked.

“Not really.” Sun admitted. Neptune’s eyes widened. “Sun, you tricked me?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Scarlet muttered. “Look, we need to get ready for whatever’s coming,” Sun said. “This is the best place for that.” His tail was swishing angrily. Coco really hated to admit it, but she agreed with Sun. Just this _once._

“There’s a difference between the best place and the only place,” Scarlet grumbled. “Beacon’s gone-”

“For _now_ ,” Velvet hissed.

Scarlet rolled his eyes and grumbled, “Sure. And with Atlas’s borders closed, Shade Academy is the only place to train. I wouldn’t call that a choice.” Sun rose from his seat and faced Scarlet, his face red with anger. “You do have a choice. You can stay or you can go.”

“I’m not the one who has a problem staying in one place,” Scarlet retorted. Sun did have a problem staying in one place, it was why he went to Haven Academy instead of Shade since he grew up in Vacuo.

“ _Harsh_ ,” Fox sent again. This time to Coco, Velvet, and Yatsuhashi. 

“Come on, guys. Can we not do this?” Neptune said.

“At least not in front of other teams,” Sage muttered.

Yatsuhashi pushed his plate away, most of his breakfast was still on it. Velvet’s ears wilted, matching her sad expression. “Can we get back to Theodore?” Coco asked, she hated to see her team look so sad by Team SSSN’s problems, “Sun, why do you think he isn’t worried about the Crown?”

“He’s focusing on the bigger picture. Shade could be attacked at any moment.”

“Well if he keeps us in the dark, he isn’t going to help anyone,” Coco said.

“You keep forgetting,” Scarlet scoffed. “We’re just students.”

“We’re already better than a lot of trained Huntsmen,” Coco said.

“ You're not wrong.” Team CFVY’s entire world stopped when they heard a familiar voice behind them. SSSN was on the other side of the table and their eyes were wide.

“ You really are better than most of them.” Team CFVY turned around. It was you, standing there with Qrow beside you. Your hand on your hip and smirking. Velvet felt fresh tears form In her eyes.

“ Y/N!” They all cried out and Qrow took a step back and you yelped when Velvet had literally jumped onto you. She jumped onto you and her arms were around your neck and you twirled her around and hugged her back. It wasn't long until Team SSSN and the remainder of CFVY had jumped onto you.

“ Good to see you all too.” You groaned then rubbed the back of your head and brushed the sand off of your clothes when you were standing up now.

“ I thought we would never see you again!” Coco yelled and you chuckled, “ What happened to ‘barging into Atlas’?” You asked.

“ You got the letter!” Neptune said, happily. 

Qrow cleared his throat and your eyes lit up, “ Guys, meet my friend, Qrow Branwen. Otherwise known as Ruby’s uncle.”

There were a bunch of Hey’s and Sup’s coming at Qrow’s way.

“ Coco. He broke up with his boyfriend.” Qrow glared at you and Coco made one of the most dramatic gasps, “ Oh, honey, no!” She gave him a cup of coffee and he got dragged away from her into a conversation and walked around the courtyard.

And he seemed to be feeling better.

You sat down at the picnic table, “ Why are you here?” Yatsu asked and you gave a dramatic gasp, “ You're not happy to see me?” You made a fake sniff, “ Hurts my heart.” He laughed and shook his head, “ Of course I'm happy to see you! I'm just wondering why, since you know, borders are closed in Atlas.”

You sighed, “ It's a long story, but I came here to see you all, and me and Qrow are helping you with the Crown.”

“ We are?” Qrow came back with Coco, he didn't seem mad, he looked like he wanted to help with the Crown. You nodded and he and Coco sat down. “ Y/N, Sun got beat up by 3 thugs on his own turf.” Fox said and you wheezed, “ What happened?” You asked in between your snickers.

Sun groaned and his head was on the picnic table and Neptune was rubbing his back. Qrow even looked intrigued. He wanted to know what happened.

“ Well it happened right before dawn.” Velvet started and Sun groaned even louder.

* * *

It was nighttime in the city, and Sun was on a dark street facing off against three goons who were up to no good. At least he’d assumed they were up to no good when he saw them stalking a woman out of some new nightclub downtown. Sun had followed them silently, but they somehow noticed him anyway and turned to confront him.

They were a weird trio. The woman on the left had spiky pink hair and a loose black robe over a white tunic. The broad guy in the middle wore a green muscle shirt, cargo shorts, and sandals. The lanky guy on the right had a brown jumpsuit and combat boots, with a brown patterned bandanna covering his hair and ears. The only things they had in common were matching silver armbands around their right biceps and masks on their faces.

_At least they aren't wearing those creepy White Fang masks._ Sun thought.

He bet they got pretty sweaty inside from those masks. How could they even wear those masks in Vacuo? It's a _desert._

“Aren't you out past your bedtime, kid?” The spiky pink haired girl said. 

“I’m kind of a night owl,” Sun said, but of course he yawned after saying that. A lot of people in Vacuo were night owls, simply because the desert cooled down in the evening and that was when walking and breathing didn’t make you want to die of heat. Until it got too cold, like it was now, and Sun started to question whether it was a good idea to go around with your shirt open all the time. But the time was late, even for Sun. It was almost dawn, and he had to get back to school. He didn’t want to make a bad impression for his first week at Shade. Or, rather, he didn’t want to make a bad first impression even worse. Everyone knew Sun could act foolishly. And stupid. Reckless. Weird. Dumb-

_Well, this shouldn’t take long_ , he thought. Once they stopped their verbal sparring and started the real fight, things would go pretty smoothly. The trio didn’t even have weapons.

“Night owl? Looks more like a monkey to me,” Green said. “Why were you following us?” Brown asked.

It was hard to tell because of the jumpsuit and bandanna, but Sun thought Brown might be a Faunus. It would have made sense if he was though, because then it would explain how they heard Sun following them. “Why were you following that woman?” Sun dodged Brown’s question. He glanced behind them and was comfortable to see that the woman had gotten away while their attention was on him.

Pink cracked her neck. “You’re about to find out.”

“Okay, go ahead and tell me. That’s why I asked.” A heartbeat passed. “Oh, was that meant to be a threat? You should have followed it up with something menacing, like shaking your fist angrily.” Sun demonstrated.

“Are you guys new at this?”

The group walked towards him.

“Wait!” Sun held out his hands, and they hesitated. “I don’t want to hurt you guys.” They looked at one another and started to laugh. “It’s three against one,” Pink said.

“Really? Count again.” Sun put his hands together. He closed his eyes.And he focused. As always, he started with an image that always calmed him down so he could use his Semblance: a desert willow, green and flourishing with white, rose, and violet flowers.

It reminded him of his old tribe.

Two glowing clones of Sun had appeared, 

Two glowing clones of Sun had appeared, one was facing Pink and the second was facing Green. That left Brown—whom he figured was both the leader of the group and the most dangerous. Why? Because he was hiding the most.

Brown pointed towards Sun. “Take him.”

“Which one?” Green asked.

“The real one,” Pink said. “These are just flashy illusions.” Oh, she was so wrong.

Sun directed one of his clones to punch Pink in the face. She blinked and looked more annoyed than hurt. “That’s no illusion!” Green reached for clone Two.

Sun’s clones were physical manifestations of his Aura, every bit as capable of causing damage as he was. But it could be difficult to control them, especially while he was fighting. He mostly used them for the element of surprise, extra pairs of hands, or emergency backup when he needed it. It used up a lot of Aura so he didn't use it much. 

Unfortunately, he couldn’t maintain them for long, and they couldn’t take much damage, as they drew a lot of Aura from Sun. If he kept them going on for too long, or tried to create too many clones, it usually weakened his Aura protecting him. But he’d improved a lot with training, and his Semblance was a lot stronger than it used to be.

Sun whipped out his gunchucks, spinning them as he and Brown circled each other. At the same time, Sun was fighting Pink and Green through his clones. Pink seemed like some type of boxer, dancing around and jabbing at his clone with her fists, which he managed to block. Meanwhile, Green was trying to grab the two of his clothes and wrestle them to the ground.

Brown seemed to know a lot about martial arts, since he fought a lot like Sun did, but he wasn't as good. Sun yelped and leaned back when Brown did a roundhouse kick at him, he felt a breeze when Brown’s boot swept right past his nose.

_That was close._ Sun thought.

Brown grabbed Sun’s shoulders and pushed him face down into his knee. Sun saw a rainbow of colors. His clones fizzled out.

Oh, that hurt.

Brown kicked one of Sun’s gunchucks out of his hand, and his opponents had closed in on him. Sun used his other gunchuck to fire a Dust bullet at Pink, but the woman went kind of blurry all around the edges and Sun’s shots went right through her.

_Damn, of course she has a good Semblance._ He thought.

Sun got up and ran towards the wall of a building, and as they turned to face him, he flipped over their heads to land behind them. He grabbed his fallen gunchuck and merged the two weapons together into a staff. He twirled it in front of him. Sun went for Brown again, but this time, no matter what he did, he couldn’t land a blow on him. His punches and kicks were practically sliding past the guy, just a portion of a second too late to make contact. Sun felt like he was playing a video game that he always played with Neptune, yet with a broken controller. Serves him right for always tricking Neptune while they played.

Brown kept landing hits on Sun and his Aura was in the danger zone, and if he pushed too hard then it would break, causing a serious injury. Now green stepped up, Sun used his staff to pole vault, landing his feet on Green’s chest and sprung backwards, Green falling into Pink and they both fell down.

Sun swung at Brown, who took the hit without even dodging it, and Sun felt the vibration through his staff. Brown grabbed the edge of his staff and pushed him backwards.

Sun fell but he quickly got back up, he planted his staff into the ground, suddenly needing it to keep himself standing and he felt his legs wobbling.

_Crap, I'm losing, how am I actually losing?!_

“ Is that all you've got?” Sun gasped out, “ I've fought stronger!”

There was the time when he fought an Atlesian Paladin at the Fall of Beacon, or that Sea Feilong...Okay, so he may have had some help from Blake...only a teeny bit!

“ I definitely haven’t fought anyone uglier than you, though, so you've got me there.” He taunted, “ I mean, I'm just assuming, because of the masks.”

“ You talk a lot.” Pink said.

“ I get that a lot.”

“ Enough!” Brown hissed and they all closed in on Sun.

_Here we go._

Sun gripped his staff tighter. No way he was getting beaten up by 3 thugs on his own turf! Though, it could have been their turf too. He was starting to wish he brought some friends.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed and there was a glowing trident in front of Pink, Green, and Brown. They all stared at it, then after a beat, electric energy burst from it, sending the trio flying back.

_Neptune?_ Sun did wish he had his friends, but not Neptune, he knew how much Neptune would make fun of him for getting beat up on his own turf.

Tendrils of electricity crackled over the trio. They shook it off.

“ How much can you take?!” Sun asked in disbelief. 

“ More than you can dish out.” Pink replied.

But the trident was made out of hard-light energy, so it was a copy, which meant…

“ That was just the appetizer!” Velvet yelled from above. She jumped down from the rooftop and landed next to Sun.

“ Just wait until dessert!” Yatsu rushed out of the shadows and used his sword to send Brown flying into a wall, a spray of sand settled over the trio.

* * *

You and Qrow laughed as Velvet retold the story and Sun groaned even louder, “ Velvet and Yatsuhashi had to save you?!” Qrow asked an annoyed Sun. “Rescue is a strong word!” Sun protested and jerked his head up from the table.

Coco stood up from the table and took her sunglasses off, yet quickly regretted it as the sun basically blinded her, “ I thought about it, and boys. You can help with the Crown investigation.” You knew how when she said ‘thought’, she meant she talked with her team telepathically.

“ We’re stronger together. I'll talk to Professor Rumpole after class to make this an official assignment.” Team SSSN nodded and Coco sat back down, quickly putting her glasses back on.

“ Oh crap, guys were gonna be late to history.” Velvet said and she stood up.

“ And those who miss history are doomed to repeat it,” Fox said.

“ Meet after school, alright?” Coco said as she and everyone else walked away, you and Qrow nodded. You both waited for them to leave the courtyard then you and Qrow stood up.

You used your semblance to put the jacket away. Theodore wouldn't like the jacket because of the emblem. When you and Qrow got up to his office, you understood that Headmaster Theodore was either a sentimental person or he just liked showing off who his friends were. There were portraits on the wall of his friends, one was him and Ozpin shaking hands, him and Qrow laughing, and there was one on his desk of a girl wearing a checkered dress, holding a dog. You thought it may have been his daughter.

“ Qrow!” Theodore stood up from sitting on his desk and went to greet his friend. For someone older than the other headmasters, he was surprisingly enthusiastic. Theodore hugged Qrow then looked at you, “ And who is this? A transfer student?” He asked happily, “ Love the outfit by the way.” You giggled, “ Thank you.” You responded and decided to introduce yourself.

“ Headmaster Theodore, it's nice to meet you, and I'm already a Huntress.” His eyes widened mildly, “ You seem very young to be a Huntress.” He said and you chuckled and rubbed the back of your neck awkwardly, “ I graduated early.” Yeah, graduating was totally a way to say ‘ General Ironwood gave me and these 7 other kids our licenses early.’

He hummed, “ What is your name?” He asked, “ Y/N L/N.” You responded. His eyes lit up and he walked back to his desk, ‘ Ah, yes! I've heard of you, you were one of the Fall Maiden candidate’s.” You nodded your head solemnly.

“ Speaking of Maidens, have you or Rumpole found the Summer Maiden?” Qrow asked, “ Qrow, does she know about-”

“ Yes.” You both said in unison and interrupted Theodore. You took a step forward, “ I know about Salem, and the relics.” He widened his eyes mildly in surprise but then nodded in understanding. “ And Oz?” He asked and you both nodded, but none of you said that he was a dog right now.

“ We didn't find her.” He sighed solemnly and shook his head.

Qrow should have known, the Summer Maiden probably wasn't even in Vacuo, she’d be smart not to stay.

“ I'm sorry. I know you must have both come a long way, just to ask.” 

“ Headmaster-” You stopped and Qrow grabbed your arm, “ He won't listen about the crown.” He whispered. Qrow knew how much Theodore was afraid of Salem, and Theodore cared for the kids in his Academy so much, so he knew why he only focused on Salem at the time.

You sighed, “ Okay.”

“ Do you two have a place to stay?” Theodore asked and you both shook your heads. “ I was honestly gonna sleep in Team CFVY’s dorm.” You admitted and he chuckled, “ You can both use a teacher suite.” Well, that wouldn't be easier when you needed to go see team CFVY or SSSN, but it was better than a sleeping bag. He threw a key at Qrow, “ One floor down.” 

“ Thanks, Theodore,” Qrow said and you both left his office.

“ Well, that was a total downer.” You said and made sure that his office doors were closed, “ Yep. Hopefully Rumpole lets the others do the investigation.” Qrow agreed. 

You didn't address the crown because you weren't sure if Theodore even knew about the Crown yet, maybe Rumpole hadn't even told him. And you knew how stressed he was from having to accept transfer students constantly, and because he needed to protect the school and the students from Salem

“ You don't know Rumpole’s first name?” You asked and Qrow shook his head, “ No one does. She hides her past from everyone.” 

* * *

Coco realized something. Since the information from Haven Academy had come, Professor Rumpole had switched her history lessons from the institution of Shade Academy to discussions of the Great War. That couldn’t be a coincidence. Did she think a second war was coming? Coco raised her hand, but she didn’t even wait for permission to talk. “May I ask _you_ a question, Professor?”

Rumpole turned back to her. She studied Coco’s face, then nodded.

“I’ve noticed you’ve switched to a different time period in your lectures lately. Shouldn’t we be going through events chronologically, starting with ancient history?”

Rumpole pressed her lips together. “When you tell a story, do you always tell it in the order that things happened? Or do you start at the end to entice the audience, and then back up to the beginning? Add little details out of placement as they occur to you?” 

Coco waited. Was she supposed to answer? No, Rumpole had more to say. “Does that diminish the telling? I believe the best way to properly consider the past is to provide the right context for it, and sometimes you need to know how things ended up before you can consider why they turned out that way.” Rumpole hopped up and stood on her desk, which she often used as a stage, or a soapbox.

“But I’m also not sure what you mean by ‘ancient history,’” Rumpole continued, now towering above her class. “That could be subjective. I am sure that, to some of you, things that happened even fifty years ago might feel like ancient history, while something more recent-say the Fall of Beacon-doesn’t feel like the past at all.”

_That was a cheap shot_ , Coco thought. From the way Velvet and some of their classmates who had fought at the Battle of Beacon-Iris Marilla, Reese Chloris, and Bolin Hori- shifted in their seats, she knew they felt uncomfortable, too.

“It’s just that I’m curious what life was like in Vacuo before the war and the Vytal Peace Accords,” Coco continued. “Before the Dust companies destroyed it.” She heard grumbling from some of her classmates, but Coco kept talking. “What was it like when monarchies ruled the four kingdoms, when the _crown_ was the center of authority in Vacuo?” 

Rumpole couldn’t have missed the significance of Coco’s question, she was smarter than that, but she didn’t show it. “I see. This happens to be one of my particular areas of interest, but I’m afraid much of that information has been lost in Vacuo, thanks to conquest and war. We can only guess at what life was like for those who lived in a paradise filled with verdant life, with a formalized government and royalty. Few documented accounts or records remain from that far back-though some families have claimed otherwise over the years.”

After Rumpole dismissed the class for the day, with an assignment to write a long-ass essay on what caused the Great War, Coco, Fox, Yatsuhashi, and Velvet hung back. When the rest of the students had left, Rumpole addressed Team CFVY.

“I don’t have an answer to your real question, Adel,” she said. “I haven’t even spoken to the headmaster about your request yet.”

Coco couldn’t believe it. “Why not?” she demanded. “The Crown is important, and we’ve also been hearing about widespread disappearances throughout the city.”

Rumpole hopped to her feet and hooked her thumbs over her belt. “It’s up to me to determine if it’s important enough to bring to Theodore. He has been preoccupied lately.”

“You mean with the attacks on the other academies? I understand his concern, but does he really think anyone is going to attack Vacuo right now? The kingdoms have already taken everything it has,” Coco said in frustration.

Rumpole took a deep breath and shook her head. “If you think Dust is all Vacuo has to offer, then what are you doing here?”

Coco wasn’t about to back down on this one- it might have been the last chance she got to make her case. “I do think highly of Vacuo, and that’s why I’m worried about what’s going on here. Right now. Instead of what might happen tomorrow.”

“That’s an indulgence you have as a Huntress in _training_. Theodore has to be concerned with today and tomorrow. And all the days that follow. It falls to him to keep this academy and students safe above everything else,” Rumpole said flatly, and her mood wouldn't change. “Which is why I’m investigating this ‘Crown’ personally, and will report my findings and recommendations to him-in due time. Not when it’s valuable for you.”

“You’ve been investigating the Crown?” Coco asked. “We can help!”

Rumpole sighed. “Of course you can. It’s only because of your team that we know about them at all, and if your suspicions are true, we will have to deal with the situation sooner or later. But I can’t officially assign you to the case without drawing unnecessary attention to it, or running my few leads to ground.”

She paused to let the words sink into Coco, then added a warning. “And if I ever find out that you’ve been continuing to investigate the situation on your own, I would have to report that to Theodore immediately. While he doesn’t believe in coddling his students-”

Fox snickered. 

They all might have imagined it, but Rumpole’s mouth literally twitched in a half-smile. “He does intend to protect you all. Even teams as capable as CFVY. “ _Wow, is she actually praising us?_ Coco thought. “The headmasters of the other schools have been reckless, negligent, or overprotective.” She was straight-on right with Overprotective and reckless, “ Theo’s first priority will always be helping you reach your full potential, making you strong enough to survive anything that comes your way. He has your best interest in mind, no matter or where you come from, or where you started your training. Who else can say that?” Rumpole spread her hands. “Give us some time.” She said softly.

Coco nodded. “Okay, that seems fair,” she admitted, though Coco wasn't the one to admit to things. “Until we start to run out of time.” She put her sunglasses back on.

Rumpole drew her coat closed and looked at the door. “Now get out of here before I give you extra homework for being late to class.”

Coco left the professor’s classroom knowing two things. One: she did not only admire Rumpole but trusted her. She hadn’t been sitting around ignoring Team CFVY’s warning- had been out there taking quiet action. She also loved her fashion sense.

And Second: Coco wanted Rumpole as a mentor. She could learn a lot from her before she graduated Shade!

“So I guess that’s it,” Yatsu said, processing what they were told, “She’s onto us. We have to stop what we’re doing or she’s going to tell Headmaster Theodore.”

_“That’s not what I heard,”_ Fox sent and he was smirking.

“We can’t stop now!” Velvet said.

“We aren’t going to, and Rumpole doesn’t want us to,” Coco lowered her glasses and stared at her teammates, dead-serious. “She told us that she knows we can handle ourselves, but if we get too much attention and she’s forced to act, she’ll have to report us to Theodore.”

_“She basically told us to be careful_ ,” Fox sent. 

“Oh,” Yatsu realized. “Are you sure she said all that?”

“It’s Vacuo,” Coco said,

“Nothing is ever what it seems.”


	49. The Weeping Wall.

It was evening and classes had ended, Vacuo had started to get chilly and you and Sun were taking everyone to the Weeping Wall.

Everyone was happy that you were in Vacuo, and they were also happy that you and Qrow we're helping them with the case. Plus, you could help them get around the city, since you, Fox and Sun knew it very well. Well, Fox grew up in settlements, not the city, so he doesn't know much.

It was difficult to map the streets on scrolls, and Velvet and Yatsu would always get lost on their nightly patrols. But they just had to get used to this in Vacuo, because everything was always changing...or they could have just asked for directions, but they never did, because Vacuans didn't trust outsiders. 

But you and Sun knew this city like the back of your hands.

You and Sun moved so quickly through unpaved streets or shadowy alleyways, that everyone else had to hurry to keep up with you and him. Velvet caught up to you and Sun, “ You know this place so well, did you grow up here?” You knew she was asking Sun because she also knew that you went to Vacuo for missions back in the Fang.

“ My family and I move around a lot.” Sun responded, “ My dad didn't like the city.I didn't come here till I was older.”

“ I don't really like the city either.” He added and you nodded your head in agreement, “ Vacuo is nice and all, but it cramps my style.” You said.

“ Sun likes climbing things.” Neptune said, “ This city has too many small buildings.”

“ Doesn't your cousin own a dojo around here?” Neptune asked and Sun’s face went pale. Velvet’s eyes lit up, “ Oh! Can we see it?” She asked but Sun looked uncomfortable. “ I'd rather we not.” He responded, “It’s probably not even here anymore. I’m not sure I remember where it used to be, the city changes so often.”

“ You have family here and you haven't told them your back?” Yatsu asked somewhere from the back. You heard Scarlet laugh from the very back, “ That’s Sun for you!” He shouted.

“ So you don't like the city. Is that why you didn't attend Shade?” Velvet asked. “ No.” Sun sent a sideline glance at her, “ I left because I was tired of looking at it.”

You groaned in agreement, “ Wherever you turn, it's just right there!” You said then turned around then so did everyone else. The top of Shade Academy was rising over the roofs of houses, though everyone swore they were west from the Academy.

“Remnant is a big place,” Sun went on. “I wanted to see more of it.”

“I spent a summer in Atlas once,” Velvet said. “Before I went to Beacon. It was pretty overwhelming.”

“ I've never been to Atlas before.” Sun said. 

“ Sun, I don't think you'll be able to wear just _that_ in Atlas.” You said, referring to his loose-collared white jacket with _no_ shirt underneath. He stuck his tongue out at you and you blew a raspberry at him.

“ I hope you'll be able to go this time. When all of this trouble dies down.” Velvet said.

“ Nah, I'm good. Too much technology there.” Sun replied.

“ But also really tall buildings.” Neptune pointed out.

“ And it's cold would kill Sun and Sage in the matter of seconds.” Sun glared at you and you snorted. 

“ They should add a Pumpkin Pete statue In Atlas.” Velvet said and Qrow chuckled, “ I'll make sure to ask the General to build one.” Qrow said.

Velvet laughed a little, “ I can't see the reason for why we wouldn't want one.” Qrow was really growing on CFVY and SSSN. And he was starting to feel better from his breakup.

“ We're here.” You said after a few minutes of walking in silence, other then the sound of all of your footsteps. You pointed and there was a natural rock formation springing from a plaza on the outskirts of the city.

“ This is the weeping wall?” Coco asked in disbelief, “ I was expecting, I don't know, a- ”

“ _Wall._ ” Coco and Qrow both said in unison. 

The rock was technically wall-like, it was about 10 feet long, 3 feet thick, and 40 feet high. “ It isn't weeping either.” Neptune added, “ Those aren't tears, they're sweat.” He wiped his eyebrow for emphasis, referring to a drip of water seeping out the rock and running down in a narrow rivulet to disappear into the crevice between the rock and pavement.

“ Things aren't named literally in Vacuo,” Sun said. “ How is it doing that?” Yatsu as him and the others finally caught up with you and Sun, “ _What_ is it doing?” Velvet asked.

“Hard to know without digging it up and ruining it in the process,” Sun said.

“Which people in Vacuo are generally against, for obvious reasons. But there must be some kind of underwater waterhole beneath the stone. The rock is passable. It draws the water up and then it trickles down. Once in a while after it rains, the stone will ‘weep’ for weeks afterward.” You explained.

“ I've heard of this.” Fox caught up with the group, “ People sell vials of the water, don’t they? ‘Vacuo’s Tears’ or some nonsense.” You nodded at him to show that he was right.

“ Why not just drink it?” Sage asked.

“ Because then we'd have an ugly rock.” You said.

“Some of the water evaporates, of course, but a lot of it drips into the ground and makes its way back to the waterhole, and probably some of the local oases or refuges. It’s as close as we have to a renewable resource around here.” Sun explained.

“ It's nice and all.” Yet the tone in Coco’s voice was saying she meant the exact opposite, “But why did you want to show it to us?” She asked you.

“ I think it's truly breathtaking.” Fox said with the most exaggerated pleasnt sigh and you snorted. “ Wait. Aren't you blind?” Neptune asked. Fox turned his head towards him and didn't do anything, other then stare. Fox always did that when he wanted to scare some people.

And it was working.

“ What is he doing?” Neptune asked nervously.

“That was the joke,” Yatsu explained. “Sorry. Don’t be mean, Fox.”

“Please stop staring at me,” Neptune said in a small voice, sounding scared. “I mean-” He covered his eyes and turned away.

Fox grinned.

“ Take a closer look.” Sun said, “ Come on.”

You all gathered on the cooler side of the rock. The base was cluttered with a variety of stuffed animals, bunches of desert flowers, shoes. Glasses were filled with water and plates had dried meat on them. After a moment, they put it all together: The rock was a shrine.

Loops of thin wire were wrapped around the wall, with pictures and posters pinned to them. Some of the pages were faded, nearly blank and ripped, while others had been freshly printed or handwritten. Many of them had the same word in bold letters at the top: _MISSING_.

Velvet whispered to Fox what the shrine looked like, and she was avoiding team speak for SSSN’s benefit. Fox didn't tell anyone about his semblance until he trusted them enough to let them in on it, so SSSN didn't know.

“ What is this?” Coco asked. “ The missing and lost of Vacuo.” You and Sun both responded. 

“ People have disappeared without a trace. Most in the last year.” Sun said and everyone winced.

“ Where’d they go?” Sage asked

“ They wouldn't be missing if we knew where they were.” Scarlet patted Sage on the arm.

“ Oh, right.”

Everyone walked around the wall and Velvet took photos of those who were missing. Children, parents, brothers, sisters, cousins. Husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends. These were people who had left someone behind to miss them. To wonder what had happened to them.

“I guess they’re a low priority for Headmaster Theodore, too,” Velvet said and you heard the snap of her camera taking photos.

“Even though people expect a lot from him, he doesn’t have complete authority,” Fox pointed out, “And we’re still in Vacuo. Resources are limited. The Huntsmen he works with regularly have got to be stretched pretty thin already, if Rumpole has them on the lookout for the Crown.”

You tried to imagine what it was like for the people who only had the resources to put pictures of their missing loved ones on a wall and hope they would come home one day. 

“These people could be in trouble,” Velvet said, and her face fell at the possibilities of what could have happened to them.

“That’s what I’m worried about,” Sun said. “I’ve gotta find them.”

“There you go being all noble and selfish again,” Scarlet groaned, “Both at the same time.”

Sun didn’t rise to Scarlet’s stunt, which was pretty odd. Yet it also wasn’t his style to commit himself to a cause like this. He usually went wherever his urges took him, whether that was across the sea to help Blake or to get noodles at three in the morning with Neptune, after helping team RWBY with Roman Torchwick and that Mech, back in Vale.

To vow to fight a big cause with no obvious solution or end in sight? That really didn’t sound like Sun. Maybe his time with Blake in Menagerie had changed him? Blake really was the type of person for people to admire. 

“We’ll help you,” Velvet said with belief. “We’ll find them.”

Coco cleared her throat. “After we track down the Crown.”

Velvet walked around the wall to the other side, trailing her fingers over the posters.

You walked around the wall too and looked at the posters. There was a laughing boy balancing a plate on his head. A smiling man holding a baby in his arms. A teenage girl with her head bent over a Scroll.

“Guys!” You heard Velvet call, “Look at this!”

You, Yatsu, and Sun were the first ones to reach her. Velvet pointed at a poster with a young girl with pink spiky hair. “Look familiar?”

Yatsu squinted. 

“What’s wrong?” Coco asked.

“I know this girl. We ran into her last night,” Yatsu said. Sun’s eyes widened when he saw the spiky pink hair. “Pink!” 

“This was one of the three people in masks who we saved Sun from,” Yatsu said, and you and Qrow snorted. 

“Hey,” Sun muttered, “I had it under control.”

Coco leaned closer to the picture and lowered her sunglasses. “So you’re saying this missing kid has a Semblance.”

“She seemed to be able to phase her body so physical objects could pass through her.” Sun said.

“That’s impressive,” Qrow said and continued to look at more posters.

“The kind of person the Crown would be interested in.” Coco pointed out.

“But she didn’t act like someone who’d been kidnapped,” Sun said, “More like she was a kidnapper herself.”

“Like Carmine and Bertilak?” Coco asked.

“Oh, good point,” Sun said.

She smirked. “I know.”

Velvet used her Scroll to take a picture of the picture. The girl with pink Hair was named Rosa Schwein and lived in a place called Gust Downs.

  
“Someone should go talk to her family, find out what they know,” Coco suggested.

“Maybe these missing people are connected somehow.”

“The boys and I will take care of it.” Sun gave her a thumbs-up. Scarlet tossed up his arms in frustration. Sage sighed and Neptune shrugged. Wow, SSSN was really starting to get annoyed.

You and Velvet started snapping pictures of wide sections of the wall with your scrolls. 

Some of the posters were already fading, because of the sun. 

  
Soon they’d be gone forever. And those who are waiting for their loved ones to come back home, might never. Which made it even more important to find them all.

You handed your Scroll to Qrow, so he could get pictures of the ones too high for you to reach, “ You're so short.” He teased.

“ Shut up.”

When you were all about done photographing everything on the wall, a girl about your age had approached. 

Neptune was friendly. “Hey,” he said. “How’s it going?” You snorted at his flirting attempts.

The girl burst into tears and held up a flyer. “My older sister is missing!” Neptune froze, not knowing how to react. You felt so bad for laughing at Neptune, because it seemed like you were laughing at the girl.

“Here, let me help you with that,” Qrow said, and he took the flyer from her hands and pinned it to an empty spot on the wire. There weren’t many empty spaces left now.

Coco got straight to questioning. “When did she disappear?” she asked brusquely.

“Two nights ago.” The girl looked around in confusion, suddenly aware of the fact that you were all paying attention to her. “Um. She went to a club or something to watch a fight.”

“Where was it?” Coco asked.

“Downtown. I don’t know. She had an address on a poster. She likes to gamble, but only because she’s trying to make money so we can eat.” The girl broke down crying before she could give more detail. “I don’t know what we’re going to do without her.”

Velvet snapped a photo of her flyer. The girl’s sister was named Lily, and she looked like an older version of the girl.

“We’ll keep an eye out for her,” Velvet promised.

“Does she have a Semblance?” Coco wanted to know.

“Sure,” said the girl. “Nothing too useful, though. She can make things sticky.”

“Uh, what?” You and Neptune asked.

“She can make things stick to each other. Little things, like rocks, or the pages of a book. We used to make houses of cards together.” The girl wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “But it doesn’t last long. A few minutes, and then-” She splayed her fingers out. “Poof.”

“Okay,” Coco said. “That’s not gonna rock anyone’s world.”

The girl scowled, “She _is_ my world.” In a huff, she walked away. 

Coco’s face flushed. “I didn’t mean to upset her.”

“She was already upset,” Fox pointed out.

Scarlet crossed his arms. “But you just made it worse.”

Coco was trying to piece together what they knew. “Well, I don’t know if their situation fits,” she said. “That girl-”

“Lily,” Velvet supplied.

“Lily probably got in too deep with gambling debt and got into trouble,” Coco implied. “Or she was too embarrassed to go home to her family.”

“She wouldn’t have left her little sister alone,” Velvet said. “And it sounds like her family would support her no matter what.”

Silence fell over all of you.

“You’re right,” Coco finally admitted. “Because that’s what families do. Even in Vacuo.”

“Especially in Vacuo,” Sun said.

* * *

Soon after you all finished, You all went back to the academy.

You flopped down onto the couch in the teacher suite. Of course, you get the damn couch, even though you've been sleeping on an uncomfortable hospital bed for the last while.

Your scroll beeped and you took it out, it was a message from Coco.

“ Qrow!” You called, “ Yea?” He came into the room.

“ We have a stakeout.” 

He grinned, he always liked doing stake outs because he was always quiet, and he could have turned into a bird.

“ Where?” He asked.

“ A gambling house.” You replied, he rolled his eyes.

* * *

You crouched down beside Qrow on the low roof near the gambling house, you saw Fox and Coco on another roof afar. But Fox is blind, so why is he on a stakeout?

The others were doing nightly patrols, and it was SSSN’s first time on one. Sun and Neptune were downtown, which was explainable because it had a bunch of restaurants there. Scarlet and Sage were guarding the wall that separated the rest of the city from Shade’s campus. Scarlet had claimed that if the Crown was going after people with powerful Semblances, then they would eventually be moving on the Academy, which had the highest concentration of people with powerful Semblances for miles around. Velvet and Yatsu were on Grimm watch.

_“ Anything?”_ Coco’s voice appeared in your head, “ _No. We haven't seen anything yet.”_ You sent.

“ So, when are you coming back to the Academy?” Qrow asked. He's been non-stop asking since you both got to Vacuo.

You scowled,“ For the hundredth time. I'll go when there's proof that General Ironwood isn't my assailant.” He hated the way you called him “General Ironwood.”

“ Why do you think it's him?” He whispered. You both would have ruined the stakeout if you both talked in a normal tone. 

You started shaking a little when the memory of the metal hand replayed in your head. “ A bit of my memory came back.” A look of wonder was on his face, “ And I was being dangled over a roof, someone was holding me by the neck.” Silence fell over you both and sympathy washed over him, “ They had a metal hand. Just like General Ironwood’s.”

Qrow gasped and widened his eyes mildly, “ Anything else?” He asked and you shook your head, “ Do you know what they looked like?” He questioned, “ No, but it sounded like a Male. General Ironwood’s voice to be exact.” 

“ They took my aura, my semblance, my scroll, and even my motivation to keep fighting.” But you were gonna help team CFVY and SSSN with The Crown, and fight whoever comes in your way. 

“ Y/N?” He called and you turned your head to the side and looked at him, “ Have you been able to talk to anyone about this?” 

You so desperately wanted to, but you just couldn't.

You turned away from him, “ No.”

“ Do you want to-”

“ It's fine, it's not that much of a big deal. Let's just focus on the gambling house.”

He sighed, giving up. 

Coco and Fox’s conversation continued in both of your heads. Fox had to use his semblance with Qrow because of the stakeout. You all didn't want to be too loud.

_“To pass the time. So why are Velvet and Yatsuhashi on Grimm watch?”_ Fox sent. _“Did they do something to annoy you?”_

Grimm watch was the duty of the low-rent Huntsmen who worked loosely with local law enforcement to help keep the peace.

_“There’s been a rise in incidents of Grimm wandering into the city lately,”_ Coco sent. 

_“Nothing that isn’t handled quickly before the attacks escalate, but more than usual.”_

_“How do you know that?”_ You asked. You hadn’t heard a word about it.

_“Professor Rumpole requested reports from the sheriff on recent police and Huntsmen activity.”_

_“So how do you know that?”_ Qrow and Fox asked. Coco laughed. _“I snuck into her office.”_

_“Coco!” Fox playfully pushed her._

_“Don’t lecture me, Fox.”_

Fox smiled _. “How dare you do that without inviting me,”_ he sent _. “What were you looking for?”_

_“Anything she had dug up on the Crown,”_ Coco explained _. “I didn’t find anything, but she had left the report on Grimm activity out on her desk, plus a list of missing person cases linked to a club in the Pits.”_

It was kind of bizarre for a nightclub to pop up in the old district citizens referred to as the Pits, it was called the Pits because of all the sandpits and traps that could grab someone who didn’t watch where they were going.

_“That girl at the wall mentioned a club,”_ Fox remarked. _“I don’t get why you’re worried about Grimm, though.”_

_“Because either there have been too many for the regular Huntsmen to handle or the Huntsmen aren’t doing their jobs. Something’s changed in the last few months. And-”_

_“ Someone's coming out.”_ Qrow sent.

The door of the gambling house opened and wild sounds of laughter and yells had flooded the quiet night. 

_“Two people are leaving, a Faunus male and a woman wearing a truly horrific ensemble,”_ Coco sent. You tried your best not to snort because a Faunus like the male would have been able to hear you.

“ Not your night.” The woman said, “ Better luck next time.” She said to the man that walked out of the gambling house, “ But how’m I gonna eat?” You felt sympathy for the man. He soon walked out of earshot and you were all back to your old conversation.

_“You were saying?”_ Fox asked, gesturing for Coco to continue. _“About why Velvet and Yatsu are watching for Grimm.”_

_“Right. They aren’t only watching for Grimm. I’ve been thinking-”_

_“Always dangerous,”_ Fox interrupted.

_“Ha ha. I’ve been thinking that the Crown may not be operating in the_ _city itself. It would make sense to set up their base of operations nearby, but not directly under the nose of Headmaster Theodore.”_

_“That’s not actually an idea. It’s more of a guess,”_ Qrow noted and Fox agreed.

_“When you don’t have enough information, a guess is the best you’ve got, and I’m rarely wrong.”_

_“Which brings me back to why we’re here and why me in particular-”_

Fox began. If the others were watching for the Crown, why was he stuck here?

_“Because you’re a great conversationalist, when you don’t want to make any noise,”_ Coco sent. 

_“This would be way more boring for me if I didn’t have someone to talk to.”_

_“ Coco, you have me and Qrow.”_ You hoped she could see your deadpan even though she was pretty far.

_“ Yea but you're on the other side of the gambling house.”_ You saw her put her arm out and she waved and you and Qrow waved back.

_“And we’re here because if the Huntsmen aren’t watching for Grimm, then what are they doing?”_ Coco sent.

_“Gambling.”_ Fox nodded to the club.

Not a lot had happened in Vacuo, and when there was an argument or a crime, people managed to sort things out on their own, which was with their fists. But when it came to Grimm, Vacuans relied on Huntsmen to fight their battles for them.

Any large gathering of people-whether a temporary settlement like most of the ones in Vacuo, or a village, or a major city- naturally drew Grimm regularly. But between Shade’s students on training missions and the hired Huntsmen on guard duty, it was rare for a Grimm to strike into the city, it was almost as rare for Coco’s instincts being wrong.

_“So that’s why Theodore’s been sending more students out lately, clearing the immediate area of Grimm,”_ Fox sent. _“Maybe the Huntsmen are getting lazy.”_

_“ It's Vacuo. Police even get lazy.”_ Qrow sent and you nodded in agreement.

The door to the gambling house opened again. You all stilled, slowing your breathing and listening in. “Don’t you worry. We’ll get you home,” a man said in a deep voice. “We’re trained Huntsmen. The best in the city,” came a second man. 

“I don’t know,” a third man said. “I think I can manage on my own. I always have before.” 

“I’d be careful if I were you,” the first speaker noted. “A number of people watched you leave with your winnings, and sometimes bad things happen on the way home.”

“I’d sure feel better seeing you there safely. And you can certainly afford our reasonable rates tonight,” the second male said.

“Well ... okay.” The third man gave up and went with them.

_“Three males. One short with a green tank top and cargo shorts. His partner is taller, a Faunus with pig ears,”_ Coco sent.

You were all glad you were using teamspeak. With ears like that, a Faunus would definitely have heard you all whispering.

_“So there are our Huntsmen,”_ she went on. 

_“The person they’re protecting is average height, definitely not a fighter. Vacuan head covering and loose clothes, no weapon I can see. A merchant, maybe.”_ Qrow sent.

“ _This doesn’t feel right,”_ You sent and shook your head.

_“Agreed.”_ Qrow sent.

_“These Huntsmen are already paid to protect the city from Grimm, not escort private citizens home with their winnings. So ... let’s follow them.”_ Coco sent.

_“ Y/N, Qrow, you guys stay here and we’ll follow them. If it's the 4 of us, then they’ll definitely hear our footsteps. We can't make much noise, you both stay here and see if any more Huntsman come out.”_ Coco sent. You didn't want to miss out on the fun, but Coco had a point.

_“ Okay.”_ Qrow nodded.

You watched as Fox and Coco followed them, quietly. You waited until they were out of sight. You turned to Qrow and a flock of feathers puffed up and you watched as the crow flew into the starry night sky and followed them.

_“Should I update the others?”_ Fox sent.

_“Not until we have a situation.”_

They followed quietly, Coco in the lead. Fox concentrated on the group they were following and drew in a sharp breath.

Coco elbowed him. _“Shhh. What?”_

_“Two of these guys have a lot of Aura,”_ Fox sent. _“Basically off the charts.”_

_“The Huntsmen, I bet,”_ Coco sent. _“Flanking the guy in the middle?”_

_“Right. Their Auras are weird, so vivid I can see them. And they’re the same color.”_

_“Is that unusual?”_ Coco asked.

_“Auras are usually more unique, but these seem identical.”_

Fox and Coco continued to tail the two Huntsmen and their charge. “Wait, this isn’t the way to my house,” the merchant said. “We should have turned left back there.”

  
“This is a shortcut,” the tall Huntsman said.

“No, it isn’t,” the merchant said nervously. “Thank you, but no thank you. Here’s some Lien for your trouble, but I can take things from here.” 

“Not so fast,” the tall Huntsman said. “We don’t want your money.”

“What do you think you’re—” Fox heard them struggling. “Get off me! Let me go!” The merchant was fighting them off.

“You’re coming with us,” the short Huntsman said after a scuffle. “I’ll pay you more if you want. Here, take everything!” the merchant insisted.

“We don’t want your money. We want you,” the tall man said

_“Now we have a situation,”_ Coco sent, rushing ahead of Fox. _“Alert the others. Call in Qrow and Y/N. Sun and Neptune.”_

Fox wasn't sure if he was In range of Sage, Scarlet, Neptune, Sun, Velvet and Yatsu, to use his teamspeak. But he broadcast it, anyway.

_“ We have a situation.”_

_“ What was that?”_ Sun asked, _“ Uh, hello?”_

_“ It sounded like Fox.”_ Neptune sent, loudly, _“ What are you doing in my head?”_

_“ Calm down, it's just teamspeak.” Fox sent._

_“ Since when can you do that?” Sun asked._

_Velvet jumped in. “It’s Fox’s Semblance. He’s telepathic. And he likes s_ _urprising people with it.”_

_“We don’t have time for this,” Fox sent, “A couple of Huntsmen are_ _abducting someone. Sun, Neptune, get to the Pits district. Scarlet and Sage,_ _you, too, if you can hear me. Velvet, Yatsuhashi, hold your position in case they get away and try to flee the city.”_

_“On our way,” Sun sent._

Fox ran to where Coco was standing. She was trying to intervene, and the tall Huntsman wasn’t taking her seriously.

“Go on home, sweetheart,” he sneered. “This doesn’t involve you.” Oh, that was definitely going to piss Coco off.

“I’m involving me,” Coco retorted. “What are you doing? You’re a Huntsman; you’re supposed to be fighting Grimm, not kidnapping helpless people!”

“I’m not helpless!” the merchant yelled.

Fox could only imagine the expression on Coco’s face. “Oh, all right, then, tough guy,” she said. “If you think you can handle this, I’ll just go-”

“No! Please!” the man begged. Coco had a real cruel streak sometimes. Just one of the reasons she and Fox made great partners.

Fox’s head was full of Team SSSN now.

_“Man, I used to think that guy never talked. Has he been using telepathy all along?” Sun sent._

_“I bet he’s been talking about us, right in front of our faces,” Neptune sent._

_“It’s kind of cool, though, right?” Sun said._

_“I can still hear you,” Fox sent._ He drew his tonfas and took up a defensive position beside Coco.

“Great, another one,” the short guy said darkly.

Sun and Neptune were quiet for a while.

_“How does this work?” Sun asked._

_“I’ll explain it later. Just get over here,” Fox sent._

“We’re here!” Sun shouted, and Fox and Coco heard his actual voice, then a thud as Sun landed in front of him and Coco. Neptune rushed over just behind them.

“Oh, come on!” the tall guy said.

At the exact same time, Sun said, “You again!” sounding surprised and annoyed.

“You know these guys?” Coco asked and looked at them, then Sun.

“Yeah, we fought right before dawn, only they were all covered up,” Sun said.

“2 against 4 this time.”

“We can still take you,” the tall guy said.

“How about 2 against 6?” Scarlet called from above before landing next to Fox. Sage landing next to Coco.

“ Or 2 against 8!” Qrow came out of the shadows in an alleyway and he was holding Harbinger in its Scythe form. You then landed next to him, Hush helping you land softly, “ I always wanted to do that.” You chuckled. The Huntsmen tensed up when they saw an actual Huntsman.

The short guy sighed. “These kids are becoming a real problem. Let’s get out of here.”

“Not with that guy, you don’t,” Coco warned and she held her handbag tightly and lowered her glasses. 

“She won’t be happy if we come back empty-handed again,” the short guy said to the taller guy.

  
  
She? 

“Shut up!” the tall guy shouted.

“Drop him, or else!” Sun demanded.

The man crashed into the ground and the two Huntsmen took off. “Drop him?” groaned the merchant. 

_“Fox, Y/N, if you can track those Huntsmen by their Auras, go after them,”_ _Coco sent, “Find out where they came from.”_

_“On it,” You and Fox sent at the same time._

You and him sped off after the two bright Auras, Fox was plugging his earbuds in and tapping the Scroll in his belt to turn on ADA. She immediately started feeding him information on his surroundings so he didn’t run into a wall or fall into a hole while pursuing the would-be kidnappers.

They seemed to be heading out of the city.

_“Velvet, Yatsuhashi, I think these guys are heading your way. You’ll recognize them from the other night, you fought them with Sun.” You sent._

_“You mean the ones we rescued Sun from?” Velvet asked._

_“Come on!” Sun sent._

_“We’ll be ready,” Yatsuhashi confirmed._

You and him let the Huntsmen get farther ahead of you so they wouldn’t realize they were being followed. You had a good lock on their Auras now, so you both wouldn’t have had any trouble finding them again. Just before they hit the northern border of the city, they stopped. You crept to where they both were and listened. It was quiet.

_“ What's in front of us?” Fox sent._

_“ there is a five-story building constructed of steel and concrete, rectangular in shape.” You sent back._

_“That’s pretty tall for Vacuo, and it’s made of concrete?” Fox asked. “What building is it?”_

_“It looks abandoned, but they went inside.”_

_“It isn’t abandoned now. Someone just went inside.”_

_“ I know, Fox. I just fucking said that.”_

“ ADA, what is this building?” Fox whispered.

_“It has no designated purpose on the public record at this time.”_ ADA replied, “What used to be there?” Fox asked.

_“The Mistral Trading Company owned and operated it as a Dust refinery.”_

_“ It's the Mistral Trading company, they owned and operated it as a Dust Refinery.” Fox sent._

_“That would have been before the war.” You sent._

_Fox sent the info to Velvet and Yatsuhashi._

_“They’re inside now,” Fox sent, concentrating his Semblance._

_“I can't pick them out because there are a lot of people inside and a lot of their Auras seem the same.”_

_“ Same here. I'm focusing on the Auras in there, but they're all the same.” You sent._

Velvet and Yatsuhashi soon joined you both, then Qrow came out of the shadows. You knew he must have turned into a crow and followed you both. “We happened to be nearby,” Velvet said, relieved. “Glad we could get here.”

“So ... how do you want to play this?” Yatsuhashi asked.

“I want to know what’s in there. Who’s in there,” Fox sent. He had a bad feeling about this though.

“So let’s open it up,” Yatsuhashi said.

He stepped forward and Fox heard him grunt with struggle. “I can’t ... budge this door.” Yatsuhashi drew his sword, and then there was a massive clang of metal on metal.

“Ow,” Yatsuhashi said and you snorted.

On the other side of the door, there was shouting and clapping, then banging. Yatsuhashi hadn’t broken the door down, but it was okay. Because someone was now opening it to you all. A metal bolt slid on the other side of the door and a woman’s voice asked, “What do we fight for?” Was she looking for a password?

“Um. Fortune and glory?” Fox guessed.

The door slammed shut. “I guess that was the wrong answer,” he said and you and Qrow facepalmed. Fox knocked on the door and tried to get her attention again. “How many guesses do I get?” He asked and you snorted.

“Maybe we should go,” Velvet said, sounding confident yet also scared.

“ADA, mark this loc-” Fox faltered. He was scanning everyone in the building with his Semblance, noting the variations in Aura and trying to pick their Huntsmen out of the crowd. There had to be around fifty people in there, but at least one of their Auras was familiar.

You noticed he faltered then you looked back to the building and scanned a few Auras, one was familiar. You haven't known her for long, you only met her and talked to her since today, but she was in there.

“Fox?” Velvet asked. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Fox said. He could hardly believe what he was about to say. “But I’m pretty sure Professor Rumpole is inside.”

“In there?”

You and Fox nodded, “ I see her too.” You said.

“Then we’re gonna bust in.” Yatsuhashi reached for his sword. “Hold on, Yatsu,” Velvet said and you put your hands out to stop him. 

You and Yatsu trained a _lot_ back at Beacon, for someone so short, and someone so tall, you were still able to beat him. He was like 6’8.

  
  


“Fox, is she in trouble?” Velvet asked.

“There’s no way to know from out here,” Fox said. But he was worried. Just then his Scroll vibrated. “Coco Adel,” ADA announced. Quickly, Fox answered and put Coco on speaker. “Status,” Coco asked. “Confused.” You and Fox said then he hung up and switched you all to team speak.

You all updated Coco on how they’d come to the seemingly abandoned Dust refinery and the fact that Professor Rumpole seemed to be inside.

_“If the professor is in there, I’m almost certain it’s because she wants to be. Her own investigation must have brought her there. We shouldn’t interfere,” Coco sent. “_ _Are you sure?” Scarlet asked suspiciously. “Or are you saying that because you don’t want us to get caught? Because if something happens-”_

_Coco shut the idea down rapidly. “If we interfere in her investigation and blow whatever she’s doing, we’ll get worse than detention. She’ll probably kick us out of Shade. And we’ll have ruined the efficacy of the information she’s gathering. I say we give her time to do her thing.”_

_“What about the guy they were trying to abduct?” Fox asked. “What have you found out about him? Does he have a Semblance?”_

_“He says he doesn’t,” Coco returned. “He was kind of rude about it, too.”_

_“He threatened to report us to the headmaster, once he found out we’re only students, not licensed Huntsmen,” Scarlet said, “ Even though Qrow was there. He was being nice to him, but Qrow acted like a dick towards him.”_

_“ Well, he was a dick.” Qrow sent._

_“Students from Beacon and Haven,” Sage pointed out. “He cared more about where we came from, I think.”_

_Coco sounded smug, like a decision had been substantiated. “He refused to talk to anyone but Sun once the danger was over.”_

_Sun laughed nervously. “For what good it did us. He didn’t tell us much, just that he’d never figured out his Semblance-”_

_“Were those two who were following him really Huntsmen?” Fox asked._

_“The owner of the club said they are. He likes that they hang around his club, in fact, because they make him feel safer. Plus, their presence prevents people from cheating. Usually,” Coco sent._ _“They didn’t want his money,” Velvet sent. “But if they were working for the Crown, why would the Crown be interested in people without Semblances, like this guy and that woman the other night?”_

_“Well, this has been a good night so far. We have two new leads,” Coco sent._

_“What’s that?” Velvet asked._

_“That Dust refinery, for one. We know it was harboring at least two criminals.”_

_“And the other lead?” Qrow and Neptune asked._

_“Professor Rumpole,” Coco sent. “Tomorrow, I’ll go to her office-”_

_“And snoop around some more?” Qrow asked._

_“No,” Coco sent. “I’m going to ask her some questions.”_

* * *

Qrow’s 2 days were up, but he was staying, because Vacuo was pretty fun, and he had started to feel a lot better.

You and Qrow stood at the front of the meeting grounds on the highest level of the school. Professor Rumpole had broadcasted and reported to meet on the high grounds for an announcement at 8:00 AM. It was sent to all students. And, you and Qrow decided to help Rumpole and Theodore with Shade, so it was mandatory for you both to be there.

You were tired though, you all got back to Shade right before dawn, so you only got a 30-minute nap. Out of your 12 hours of no damn sleep.

But the high ground was a nice area, it was early so the temperature was pleasant and warm. It was an artificial oasis, meant to show what Vacuo had used to be. There were flowers of different colours and dense trees. 

You yawned and stretched your arms out, “ Why do you think Rumpole called everyone here?” You asked over the murmurs of students. Qrow shrugged, “ Do you think it's about them?” He pointed to Team CFVY and SSSN, standing side by side.

“ Rumpole was out last night too, so it might be about them.” You remarked.

The Headmaster’s double doors opened and Theodore walked out, his glittery red gloves in the air, as if he just won a fight. “ Good Morning, Shade Academy!” His voice boomed over the crowd, “ How are you doing?”

Everyone started applauding and cheering, “ Does this usually happen?” You asked and Qrow sighed and nodded, “ He's literally older than me.” He said. Headmaster Theodore was so much different than the other Headmasters of the Academies. Theodore believed you had potential, but you had to earn it and prove yourself to him first.

Theodore was jabbing fists at the circle of students, beckoning them to fight him. A young student named Umber Gorgoneion had come up, they faced each other then bowed down as everything went quiet. They were about to fight until Rumpole’s voice echoed throughout the room.

“ Headmaster, that isn't why we're here.” Rumpole strode forward. “ But-” He began.

“ Please save it for later.” She said, briskly.

“ You’re no fun.” He pouted then sighed, “ But you're right.” He gave Umber a high-five and she went back to her friends, her cheeks blazing red.

Theodore hopped onto the short stage, you and Qrow standing near him. He joined Rumpole at the microphone. 

He began, “ We have received some reports-”

Rumpole cleared her throat.

“ Some _complaints_ from local security forces about Shade Academy students operating in the city at night, and interfering with official Huntsmen business.” 

“ Yep, it's about them.” You whispered to Qrow and he gave a frustrating sigh. You didn't know for sure, but Rumpole glanced at you after you said that. This wasn't right, though. if you all hadn't interfered, then the Huntsman would have kidnapped an innocent person. The Huntsman must have been working for the Crown. 

“We need to maintain a good relationship with the police and Huntsmen, now more than ever. You know we don’t have many rules here, because all Shade students have to be responsible for their own actions- and willing to accept the consequences.” 

Theodore glanced at Rumpole. “However, effective immediately, students must remain on campus after sundown unless otherwise assigned to a mission and approved by Professor Rumpole or myself.”

A bunch of students had started murmuring in confusion and anger, team CFVY were having their own conversation. Qrow walked up to the microphone and cleared his throat loudly then everyone stopped murmuring. Qrow literally looked like he could kill someone.

Theodoto put the microphone into his hand and strolled around, “As you know, the safety of our students is my top priority. Some of you recently came from academies that were run a little differently, but Vacuo is a more dangerous place than Mistral and Vale.”

Theodore looked out at the crowd as he strolled. His gaze lingered on Team CFVY for a moment. He would have had to know that these reports were about them, but then why hadn’t he spoken to them directly?

He continued, “I have also heard the rumors that people have been disappearing in Vacuo. I understand that this is a matter of concern for all of you. You probably want to help. Good-that’s why you’re here. But we already have the best people working to get to the bottom of it, and we want to avoid distractions. When it’s time, when we know more, we will seek help if necessary.” That was an obvious lie, the Huntsman haven't been doing anything, nor have the police.

Professor Rumpole cleared her throat.

“In short, don’t you worry. We know what’s been going on out there, and we have another solution,” Theodore said. “Don’t we, Professor?” He turned to her.

“We do.” Rumpole took the microphone and fixed it back into the stand. “Shade Academy has been through a lot of change lately. Last year we took in students from Beacon, and more recently we welcomed eight new arrivals from Haven as well.”

There were scattered boos from the audience, but they died down at one fierce glance from Headmaster Theodore and Qrow. You saw that Velvet’s face flushed, and Yatsu put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Rumpole looked around. “This has clearly been a challenge for everyone-the strain on the dormitory space and the overcrowded classrooms ... and we haven’t yet addressed the issue of team assignments for some of you. It is understandably difficult to adjust to a new school, an entirely new group of classmates, and most of all to life in Vacuo. Yet some of you have been separated from your original training teams.”

That’s one way to put it, either separated by battle, or death.

“And so,” Professor Rumpole added with a flourish, then placed her hands behind her back.

“Shade Academy is holding its first Reinitiation Ceremony.” 

Your blood ran cold.

“ _WHAT?!”_ You and Coco screamed over all of the murmurs and shouts coming from students.

Everyone sharted shouting in anger and confusion and Theodore slammed his hands together, causing it to make a loud _boom_ because of the gravity dust in his gloves.

“When is this happening?” Coco called out.

“It’s already begun,” Rumpole said. “Everything you do from this moment forward will factor into your evaluations for new teams.”

“What about our existing teams?” Scarlet asked, almost sounding happy. You figured it would be because he wouldn't have Sun on his team.

“Your old teams no longer exist. New teams will be formed,” Rumpole said crisply.

Coco tore off her glasses. “For how long?”

Rumpole didn’t blink. “For the time being,” she said. Headmaster Theodore strode forward. His voice projected easily without the aid of a microphone. “This is going to be fun! I wish I’d thought of it sooner. It’s the perfect way to get everyone back on equal footing and improve our teamwork. New teams will be formed without regard for what year you are, or where you came from. Vacuo, Vale, or Mistral-it doesn’t matter anymore.” He clapped enthusiastically.

It doesn't matter what year they are?! You couldn't believe it. How could a first-year be as good as a fourth-year?!

“Our longtime Shade students are already familiar with our initiation ceremony. Luckily, Professor Rumpole has cooked up something new so that no academy’s students will have an advantage.”

You turned as you heard the whirring motors of an airbus. Then four buses lifted up into view beyond the edge of the terrace.

“When you reach your destination, your goal will be to locate a gold figurine and bring it back to the school,” Rumpole said.

_“Great,”_ Fox sent. _“Glad this is fair for everyone. Who can see.”_

“All aboard!” Headmaster Theodore called out. The doors of the hovering airbuses lowered. Students began filing uncertainty into the airbuses.

“We haven’t even had breakfast yet,” Sun protested and whined. You figured he would have stole a banana or an apple as quick as he could.

You watched as everyone went into the airbuses, then they took off, into the desert.

“ Headmaster Theodore, are you sure this is okay?” You asked. At least they weren't being thrown off a cliff, but with new teams and everything, CFVY wasn't going to be okay now, since they were all separated. 

“ Of course it is!” He said happily, “ You up for a round?” He asked and jabbed a first at you. You giggled but you were still worried, “ Sure.” 

You and him fought and Qrow watched in glee.

But nothing was okay right now, CFVY was no longer a team. Maybe in their hearts, they still knew they were a team, but not in the academy.

You looked over to Rumpole and she had an unpleasant grin on her face was she watched the airbuses fly away, it almost looked like a evil grin.

Why has Rumpole been so off, lately?

More importantly: What was Rumpole planning?


	50. The Mirage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: Spits out 10044 words.
> 
> Also me: I should write how everyone is freaking out in Atlas.
> 
> Me: NO.
> 
> This is probably the longest chapter I've wrote.

It's been 3 days since the reinitiation came to an end and new teams were formed.

Team ROSC: Reese Chloris, Olive Gashley, Scarlet David, and Coco Adel.

Team NOVA: Nebula Violet, Octavia Ember, Velvet Scarlatina, and Arslan Alten.

Team BYRN: Bolin Hori, Yatsuhashi Daichi, Rae Noire, Neptune Vasilias.

Team FNDU: Fox Alistair, Nolan Porfirio, Dew Gayl, and Umber Gorgoneion.

Team SSEA: Sage Ayana, Sun Wukong, Elektra Fury, and Ariadne Guimet.

No one was happy about the reinitiation, other than Scarlet. Scarlet was pretty disappointed when there wasn't any celebration at Shade for the reinitiation, Haven Academy was known for its big parties after initiation. Scarlet wanted to celebrate with his new team- Team ROSC ( rosy)- since he wasn't on a team with Sun anymore.

And maybe go on a celebratory date with that one pretty boy, Nolan Porfirio.

Everyone back in Atlas was probably freaking out that Qrow was in Vacuo, you knew for a fact that Maria had given the note a few hours earlier, and you also knew that it was no doubt that General Ironwood would be on his way here. So you all had to find out about the Crown, _fast_.

* * *

“I guess it’s not hard to move on when you’re always moving, huh?” Scarlet sat up straight and looked at Sun. “Just how ecstatic are you to be moving on from us? Be honest. While we’re at it, maybe you can explain why.”

Sun was taken aback. “What?”

“Well, you were always leaving us and going solo. We were never sure why,” Scarlet said. They might not have been on the same team now, but his questions had still remained.

Sage still had questions, too. “Were we not good enough for you?” he asked.

Sun looked back and forth between them, suddenly deflating. “No! I never wanted you to think that.” He glanced at Neptune. “I didn’t know you thought that.”

How could he not know? “Our team is-was-Team SSSN. Sun. It’s practically named after you! But most of the time, you weren’t part of it,” Scarlet said.

“It’s just a name-” Sun began.

“Names are important,” Velvet jumped in. “They’re part of our identity. That’s why it’s upsetting when our names-when pieces of our identities-are taken away from us. Without asking us, without warning. Think about what happens when you lose a part of yourself.”

* * *

You overheard that conversation 3 days ago, right after the reinitiation from some random room in the Academy, the dorm common room, you thought.

You wanted to keep listening on that day, but it wasn't your conversation to eavesdrop on.

The day after that, you noticed how Rumpole kept getting suspicious more, and more. She was making teams fight their own teammates, but Coco and everyone else had told Rumpole to stop when Velvet was fighting Nebula, and Velvet couldn't fight anymore, yet Rumpole had told them to keep fighting.

It was almost like she wanted Velvet to get hurt.

In the present day, so today, Sun and Neptune were questioning someone.

Sun’s mind wandered while Neptune had talked to their tenth person of the day. After four hours of visiting people who had posted missing posters on the Weeping Wall, Sun was looking forward to a lovely dinner at Bug Burger before continuing their nightly rounds.

Neptune elbowed him and Sun’s attention snapped back to the middle-aged man who was speaking. It took Sun a moment to remember his name, Finn Asturias.

“You boys are from Shade?” Finn asked.

“Yeah,” Neptune began, “but originally we’re-”

“That’s right.” Sun cut off Neptune. The only reason this man had let them into his home because Sun was from Vacuo. Telling him they were recently from Haven-implying that Shade was their last choice for training-would end this conversation quickly. Which might not be so bad, come to think of it.

“Did you know there used to be a magnificent palace where Shade is now?” Finn asked.

Sun shook his head, eyes wide with feigned interest and attention.

“My children used to be students at Shade, like you.” Finn frowned. “But Shade wasn’t right for them. They disappeared shortly after they left the academy.”

“They went to Shade?” Neptune leaned forward and lowered his voice. “I bet they have powerful Semblances.”

“Not Jax. He’s never had much Aura. But his sister ...” Finn Whistled. “Gillian’s the one who wanted to become a Huntress. He just followed her. He went wherever she did.”

“So they’re close,” Neptune muttered.

“I’ll say. They’re twins.”

“Are you getting all this?” Neptune asked Sun.

Sun pulled his Scroll out and attached a note to the photo of the missing poster that had led them here.

_Finn Asturias—boring, lonely_

_Missing twins, Jax + ?_

_Shade students, left the school (wow) Semblances???_

_I want a double bug burger like right now_

“I’m sorry, would you mind taking that thing outside?” Finn asked. “Huh?” Sun looked up from his Scroll then held it up. “This?”

“I don’t allow Atlesian tech in my house.”

Sun looked around and realized that there was nothing electronic in the house at all. No TV, no phone, no Dust-powered lighting. Just books.

“Sorry.” Sun started to put his Scroll back into its pouch. Then he realized that getting some fresh air sounded incredible right now. He stood up. “I will take this outside.” He held up his Scroll and hurried out of the house, ignoring Neptune’s look of distress.

Sun closed the door behind him and leaned against it, glad to be out of there. It was dusk, and the evening crowds were coming out, heading to the downtown clubs and restaurants. More than anything, he wanted to join them and just eat a burger. 

His stomach grumbled and he pressed a hand against it. He hoped Neptune wouldn’t take too much longer to wrap things up and follow him out.

Sun saw Velvet walk past him, her head down and she kept looking at her Scroll. He ran after her and tapped her shoulder. “Hey-”

The next thing he knew, her hand was on his arm and then he was on his back, looking up at Velvet while she looked down at him. She covered her mouth with a hand and widened her eyes. “Sun?” 

Sun groaned in pain. “What just happened?”

She helped him back to his feet. “You shouldn’t sneak up and grab people! Where did you come from?”

“Over there.” Sun pointed at Finn’s house. “Neptune and I have been talking to people who posted signs on the Weeping Wall. You were supposed to help-”

Velvet pressed a hand to her forehead. “I knew I was forgetting something!”

Sun shrugged. “It’s okay. Neptune and I are good at this stuff, and we’ve almost gotten everyone.”

“It’s just that everything’s been so confusing and busy lately with the new teams and one assignment after another and the curfew…”Velvet stammered.

Sun had to agree there. “Yeah, I noticed. Since the teams were reshuffled, no one has time for anything anymore.” Not that it was stopping him. Sun scratched the back of his neck. “Speaking of curfew, aren’t you kind of breaking it right now?”

“You aren’t the only one allowed to break rules.”

Sun grinned. “The headmaster said no one can leave campus after sunset. So we leave during daylight and we just don’t go back.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “So ... what’s so important that you’re sneaking out on your own?”

Velvet’s face lit up. “You know that fight club we’ve been looking for in the Pits?” She flashed her Scroll at him. “I just got a name and address.”

“No way!” Sun read the advertisement on her phone:

_VISIT THE MIRAGE TONIGHT! IT’S SO MUCH FUN, YOU WON’T BELIEVE YOUR EYES._

Down at the bottom, in small print, were the words: _COME FIGHT FOR YOUR CROWN AND KINGDOM._

Maybe it was a coincidence, maybe not. But he was on it immediately. “Yeah! Let’s go,” He said and jumped, his tail swishing happily.

“You aren’t invited,” said Velvet flatly.

“Does anyone else know where you are?” Sun asked.

Velvet bit her lip. “No.”

“Is it going to be dangerous?”

“Probably,” Velvet admitted.

“Then I’m coming,” Sun said. “Besides, that guy in there is so boring. Neptune has it under control.”

“If I refuse, you’re just going to follow me, aren’t you?”

“That sounds like something I’d do,” Sun said. He would immediately do it.

He thought she was about to give in., “Okay, then. If you promise not to interfere, you can come with me.”

“I know better than to make a promise I can’t keep. But I can promise I’ll have your back.” He winked. 

“We Faunus have to stick together.”

* * *

You and Qrow were coming back from questioning the Schwein family on their daughter, Rosa, but they had no idea where her whereabouts were. And all they knew was that she went missing a month ago.

You saw Sun and Velvet go down an alleyway, almost seeming like they were hiding.

_Should I follow them?_ You thought.

You were gonna follow them. You checked the time, 5:47 PM. “ You go back to the Academy, I'm gonna get some food.” He turned his head to you.

He didn't trust you in Vacuo alone, he knew you were strong, and that you could take care of yourself. But ever since you were attacked, he wouldn't let you go anywhere alone. And, Vacuo was a dangerous kingdom.

“ You sure?” He asked and you nodded, “ I'll be fine. There's a food place right there.” You pointed to one down the street. He hesitated but then finally gave in, “ Alright. I'll meet you at the Academy.” It was past Curfew, and not even the teachers were allowed out. So you and Qrow had to sneak back in. You and Qrow weren't teachers, but you didn't want Headmaster Theodore questioning you on where you both went.

You waited for him to turn the street corner then you ran to the alleyway that Sun and Velvet had gone through. You were behind them and caught up. You put a hand on Velvet’s shoulder, “ Hey-” She yelped then spun around and put her hand on your arm and tried to flip you over so you could land on your back, but you knew all her moves so you trapped her in a headlock.

Sun’s eyes widened and he was utterly speechless. 

“ Nice try. But I know all your moves.” You said and she groaned and you let her out of the headlock.

You put your arms around Sun and Velvet’s shoulder and they tensed, “ So what are you guys doing here? Isn't it past curfew?” You asked.

“ You're out past curfew, too.” Velvet remarked and you chuckled, “ But I'm not a student.” You replied, “ So answer my question.”

Velvet pulled out her scroll but kept it at her side, “ You know that fight club we've been looking for?” She asked and you nodded. She put her scroll in front of you, “ I found it.”

“ Shut up!” You smiled and looked at the Ad.

_VISIT THE MIRAGE TONIGHT! IT’S SO MUCH FUN, YOU WON’T BELIEVE YOUR EYES._

_COME FIGHT FOR YOUR CROWN AND KINGDOM._

“ How?!” You asked and breathed out a laugh, she put her scroll back into her pocket, “ It was sent to my friend, Gus, but he was too afraid to go. He said students from his combat school are going there but then they disappear.”

You winced then hummed and nodded your head.

It was 6:00 PM when you three got to the Mirage.

“ This was the building me and Fox found!” You remembered how you and Fox had found this place after chasing the 2 Huntsman. You didn't think it was something big or important at first, and thought it was just some hideout, but now it was so much more.

“But we still don’t have the passphrase,” Velvet said, “There’s got to be another way inside.”

You three approached the solid metal door. Sun shrugged and knocked on the door and you facepalmed.

A narrow panel slid open at the top and eyes peered out at you. “What do we fight for?” a gruff voice asked. It definitely wasn't the woman from a few nights before.

Velvet glanced at Sun. She started to lift her Scroll to the window. “I have this ad-”

That was it! 

“For crown and kingdom!” You blurted out.

The panel slid shut. Sun gripped his gunchucks tightly. Then the door creaked open. A large man in a black chestplate stared down at you three. He was as tall as Yatsuhashi.

A silver armband was on his right arm, Sun seemed interested in it.

He didn't say anything, and you reached for Hush until the man spoke, “Check your weapons, Scrolls, and Dust,”

“I thought this was a fight club,” Sun’s brows scrunched up in confusion.

“We fight without weapons,” the man said.

You all exchanged a look.

The man held his hands out. Sun reluctantly gave him his gunchucks. Or he tried to, but as the man tried to take the gunchucks, Sun kept hanging on. They played out a brief tug-of-war before the man picked them up, along with Sun, who dangled comically before letting go and pouting. You snorted and gave the man Hush, “ No dust?” He asked and you shook your head.

Sun glanced at Velvet as she started to walk past the guard. The man held out a beefy arm, “Where’s your weapon, girlie?” Velvet smiled sweetly. “I don’t have one.”

“What’s in the box?” The guard reached down and grabbed the box fastened to Velvet’s back. “Hey!” she protested.

The guard opened the box and looked inside. His eyebrows bunched together. “What’s this?” He asked. “A camera,” Velvet said. At his blank expression, she explained: “It takes pictures.”

“Like Scrolls?” the man said

“Yup.”

He handed it back to her. “No pictures in the club.”

“But doesn't it use-” Sun began. You and Velvet jabbed him in the sides with your elbows. “Ow!” Sun whined. 

“Thanks, sir. I won’t record anything.” Velvet reclaimed her camera and grabbed Sun by the shirt collar, dragging him inside the club. You followed them.

“Sorry,” Sun said. “I didn’t expect you to lie like that.” You did.

“No one does,” Velvet said. “That’s why it worked. Let’s hope I don’t need to use Anesidora in here.”

You all went down a dark, narrow hallway toward the sound of pounding techno music, cheers, and grunts. The temperature was much cooler in here than outside, but it also smelled like sweat and food and old machine oil. You hated the smell.

Then you all reached a vast room, packed with standing tables, booths along the walls, and people everywhere, all surrounding a large gold cage in the center. Two people were fighting inside, but you could barely see them through the throng.

Inside the cage, a tall, gold-skinned woman with bandages wrapped around her muscular body was facing off against a younger girl with mirrored glasses. Sun recognized her from Shade.

“Isn’t that Umber?” Sun asked. You looked at the cage and the girl looked familiar, “ Yea I think it is.” You responded.

“Yeah,” Velvet said. “She’s on Fox’s new team, Team FNDU. I wonder why she’s here.”

“Looks like she’s here to fight,” Sun said. “Should we hide? Or talk to her?”

“Depends on what she’s doing here,” Velvet muttered. Umber was the one who liked to fight a lot.

Umber looked wasted, but still she fought, though her opponent had the benefit of size and strength. You and Sun also thought her skin might actually be gold, considering how little damage Umber’s strikes were having against her.

“The newcomer is almost finished!” an announcer called. “She’s going to need some of Tayet Aldhahab’s bandages soon.” 

“Let’s look around, but try not to draw too much attention,” Velvet whispered. Sun hadn’t seen her so confident before. Being on her own and in charge suited her. Plus, Sun liked being bossed around by strong women. He liked being bossed around by Blake.

You've always seen her with this confidence, though.

You all circled the arena, scanning the crowd. Sun and you kept an eye on the cage, watching Umber fight. The gold woman, Tayet, was charging at her. Umber’s shoulders slumped, and then she looked straight at her opponent and lowered her glasses. Her move reminded you of Coco when she was trying to look casual, but suddenly, Tayet froze in the cage.

The crowd went wild and started cheering and clapping. “A surprising move from Umber!” the announcer shouted. “She has revealed her Semblance at last, some sort of paralyzing stare.”

Your jaws all dropped as Umber now rushed toward Tayet, eyes locked on her. Then she dropped and slid between Tayet’s legs, grabbing them with her hands while kicking up and back. Tayet toppled forward like a fallen toy. 

She shook off the paralysis and climbed to her feet, blinking and looking confused. By the time she turned around, Umber was ready for her. She punched her in the gut, and as Tayet recovered and reached for her, Umber lowered her glasses again. Tayet froze.

“Looks like Umber might just pull this off after all,” the announcer crowed.

“Interesting decor,” Velvet said. Apparently she wasn’t watching this extraordinary battle featuring one of her schoolmates. Instead she was staring at the walls.

You all followed her gaze and saw that weapons were mounted along the perimeter of the club: swords and scythes, shields and guns. Then Velvet gasped and grabbed you and Sun’s arms.

“What?” Sun asked

She pulled you two toward her and turned you around so your backs were to the wall.

“Let’s take a picture together!” she said brightly. 

She held up her Scroll and took a moment to frame the shot. You and Sun smiled. The camera bulb flashed as she took the picture. The crowd around them stilled;, then someone grabbed her Scroll- it was the guard from the door.

“‘No photos,’ I said!” He glanced at the image on the camera and then at Velvet. She acted shocked and you tried your best not to laugh at how exaggerated it was. “I’m so sorry! I was so excited, I forgot. It won’t happen again,” she promised.

“She really loves taking pictures.” Sun leaned in close to the guard to explain, “It’s a sickness.” You snorted.

The guard frowned, but he deleted the picture and handed her camera back. “Do that again, and you’re banned.”

“Thank you!” Velvet put her Scroll away, and the man moved back to his station.

“What was that all about?” Sun asked in a low voice.

Velvet tapped at her camera screen. “Good thing a backup of every photo I take is automatically uploaded.” She showed the picture to you two.

You three were out of focus and the image was badly framed, showing more of the wall behind them than your faces.

“I thought you were a good photographer,” Sun said.

Velvet blushed. “I am. Because I got exactly what I wanted.” She pointed to something in the background: a golden sai mounted on the wall among the other weapons.

“So?” Sun said.

“I know this one. It belongs to Carmine Esclados.”

“ Carmine Escalados? The girl you mentioned in the letter you sent?” You asked and she nodded.

Sun was stunned. “That rotten Huntress we brought back to Coquina?”

Sum took another look. “You’re right. But I don’t remember it being gold.”

“That makes it even more weird,” Velvet said. “Why is it here, and how did it get that way?”

“Maybe it’s a replica,” Sun guessed and shrugged.

Velvet scoffed. “Why would someone make a gold copy of her weapon? The metal is too soft to fight with. And if this place is run by the Crown, I doubt it’s a coincidence. I’m gonna send this to Coco, Yatsu, and Fox.”

As Velvet texted her former teammates, you and Sun continued to watch Umber fight. She was winning.

“Umber has a great Semblance,” Sun said. She was kicking ass. Literally.

Velvet frowned and packed her camera away. “That’s not a good thing if you-know-who is running this place. Let’s try to get a little closer.” You all pushed through the crowd and towards the cage to catch the end of the fight. Umber was beating Tayet, their Aura meters about evenly matched. Umber’s glasses were pushed up on her head now and she was fighting with her eyes closed, opening them only to temporarily freeze her opponent, then move into position to kick or punch her. And then it was over.

“Nice work, sweetheart,” the announcer said. “The winner gets a kiss from me. I might have forgotten to mention that before. Come on-” You rolled your eyes.

Umber glared up at him and of course the man froze. Then people started laughing and clapping until a bunch of guys with silver armbands, and guns, started to move in on the cage.

“Guess some weapons are allowed.” You murmured. You looked around and saw that about half the people in the crowd wore silver armbands like those you'd seen on the bouncer and the guards. 

Onstage, Umber lowered her glasses and crossed her arms. “-up!” the man finished. The audience roared with laughter again. “What?” Anger flashed across his face, but then he joined in, his laughter seeming a bit forced. “Ha ha! Good one! Do we have a new challenger?”

The cage door opened and Tayet limped out, favoring her right leg, while Umber looked around. There weren’t many takers now that her Semblance had been revealed.

“Who will step up for a chance to be crowned champion?”

“Crowned?” Sun asked. This definitely had to be where the Crown was.

Then, out of the blue, Velvet raised her hand. “I’ll go!”

Sun grabbed her hand and yanked it down. “Velvet, no!”

“What did I say about grabbing people?” Velvet pulled her hand away and stalked toward the cage.

“Velvet?” Umber called in surprise. “Did you follow me here?”

“Another girl fight!” The announcer rubbed his hands together, and the crowd responded heartily. “Excellent. Enter the cage, doll.” OH, HE DID NOT JUST CALL HER DOLL

“No. No! Pick me instead!” Sun said.

He summoned a clone to stand in front of Velvet, blocking her way as it waved one hand in the air wildly. 

“Impressive,” the announcer said. “But wait your turn, Sparky. I wanna see what she’s got.”

Velvet stuck out her tongue at Sun and pushed past his clone. With no other choice, Sun let his avatar fade.

“ No! Me!” You yelled and broke a cup of glass, using your semblance, then used your telekinesis aspect to bring the broken shards in front of Velvet so she couldn't move forward

There were a lot of surprised gasps, “ Even more impressive!” The announcer yelled, “ Sorry, girlie. Bunnygirl has to go up first.” He added. Damnit. You took the shards away from in front of Velvet then turned it back into its old form.

Then a young man stepped out of the shadows and whispered something to the announcer on his platform. That guy looked familiar, but you couldn’t place him.

“Wait!” the announcer called down to Velvet. “Change of plans, Girlie goes up first! Sorry, doll.” 

Velvet looked surprised and then annoyed as you walked past her to enter the cage. She tugged your arm, “No, Y/N,” she said in a low voice, sounding mad and worried at the same time, “We have to go. Right now.”

You grinned, but your smile fled at the dark, fearful expression on her face.

“I wanted to fight Umber so I could warn her. You show a powerful Semblance here, and maybe you don’t get to leave,” Velvet said.

“And what did I just do?” You asked then facepalmed.

“Exactly.”

You looked up at the announcer. “Uh, you know what? I’m good. We’ve gotta get going actually. It’s a school night, you know?” 

“You can’t back out now,” the announcer said. “Get in the cage. The three of you.” It was clearly an order, and a bunch of the club’s goons started to close in on you all. You reached for Hush but she wasn't there, and remembered that the guard had taken her.

“ Nuts.” You all said at the same time as the goons got closer and closer.

* * *

Staying up late to scour the city for information on the Crown was one thing, but staying up late to keep watch over a barren stretch of desert was another. Searching for the person or persons kidnapping innocent people for some unknown but dark reason was way more useful than fighting Grimm far from the city.

but that’s what Professor Rumpole had assigned Team ROSC to do for the last _week_. It was called the Wastelands for a reason. It was wasting Coco’s time, her talent, and her patience. She hadn’t changed her clothes or taken a shower since leaving Shade, but the worst thing was the boredom. she hadn’t thought she’d ever grow tired of fighting Grimm, but here she was. 

Sitting by the campfire, Scarlet rolled over and mumbled something too low for Coco to hear. She shivered and pulled the blanket closer around her shoulders. She watched Reese, and Olive sleep. Reese just wasn’t a good leader. She liked to lead by group vote, which wasn’t leading at all, it was just passing the responsibility off to your team. 

Coco had thought the system at Beacon was broken. But she was certain it was broken at Shade. Why had Rumpole messed with something that already worked so well? _And it’s all my fault,_ Coco thought. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she had failed Team CFVY and was still failing them. Maybe she should have protested when Professor Rumpole announced the reinitiation. Now her real teammates were divided, their investigation had stalled, and they were all back to square one. Velvet was with a team that didn’t recognize her awesome capabilities.

Fox was withdrawing, having lost his family for the second time. Yatsuhashi was going mad with worry about Velvet and his teammates, knowing that he couldn’t be there to protect them, and worrying he would accidentally hurt someone on his new team. And Coco had to take orders from Reese Chloris, who dressed like she was a twelve-year-old, and acted like it, too.

Coco’s Scroll buzzed-one of their perimeter alarms was going off. It could just be another lizard, but it might be something else. Then several more alarms went off at once. It was definitely something else. Coco glanced back at the dying campfire. It was just about time to wake Scarlet for his watch, but if something was finally happening, she then damn well wasn’t going to miss it.

She’d just go check it out, and if it was a rare case of something she couldn’t handle alone, she would call the rest of them. They would probably appreciate the extra sleep.

Coco picked up her sunglasses from the rock beside her and slipped them on. Then she pushed the small button on the right temple to activate the night vision filters. She smiled as the desert lit up in reddish hues for her. She loved these glasses, a surprise birthday present from Velvet last month. BunnyVision.

Coco was afraid of the dark, enclosed spaces, Velvet had been working on them for more than a year, but parts and free time were hard to come by in Vacuo. Coco headed toward the perimeter alarms, keeping eyes and ears peeled for Grimm.

And then she found them. Six Jackalopes surrounding someone. “Oh, come on,” a chillingly familiar voice said, and Coco groaned in annoyance. “I don’t have time for this. He’s going to kill me if I’m not back to the Mirage in thirty.”

Coco pressed a button on the left band of her glasses and zoomed in. vCoco glimpsed the person who had captured the Jackalopes interest. This person had flowing red hair capped with a pair of goggles, a short cape, and an even shorter skirt showing off long legs. “Carmine,” Coco said under her breath. Coco couldn’t help but feel some sense of cosmic justice.

About a month ago, Carmine had kidnapped Gus Caspian and held off the combined might of Team CFVY in the desert. 

Coco thought she should walk away, but this was the first she’d seen of Carmine since she and Bertilak had escaped Coquina.

It wasn’t likely the Grimm would be able to defeat her. Coco just thought they were more of a nuisance than a real threat for Carmine. But if Carmine was weakened in the battle, Coco might be able to get an advantage over her. She stabbed down into one of the Jackalopes back with one of her sai, then threw the weapon into another creature’s eye. The weapon electrified, destroying the Grimm. The Sai flew back toward Carmine as the Grimm reared back, sending the Huntress tumbling. She landed hard and her weapon dropped into the sand.

_Uh-oh_ , Coco thought. Carmine stumbled to her feet. She looked for her Sai, but it was lost in the sand. She lowered her goggles and raised her hands. 

The sand around her started drifting upward. Her semblance was Telekinesis. It didnt compare to Glynda’s, though. Since Glynda could use her semblance on bigger things. 

Carmine went down. Coco switched her glasses back to normal magnification. Even as she was thinking about the course of action, she was rushing toward the fray. 

Coco ran right up to one of the large Grimm and swung her purse in a wide, upward arc, smacking the creature from behind and sending it flying over the heads of its dark brothers.

  
  


Carmine stirred and climbed to her feet-holding her Sai. She didn’t miss a beat. “Fancy meeting you here,” Carmine said to Coco. She turned to the remaining two Jackalopes. “Oh, you boys are in trouble now.” Coco stood back-to-back with Carmine and flicked her bag, turning it into a machine gun. “You talk to Grimm, too?” Coco fired her gun, and the Jackalope in front of her was shredded into smoke by her Dust bullets, their force augmented by her Semblance. “A girl has to amuse herself,” said Carmine, tossing her Sai into the air.

It zipped towards and through a Jackalope, then whipped back around and did it again. And again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again. ( You get the point) until the Grimm collapsed on itself.

The sai flew past Coco’s face, passing less than an inch from her cheek and into Carmine’s waiting hand. “Where’s your other sword?” Coco asked. “Lost it in a fight,” Carmine said.

“Wish I’d seen that,” Coco said.

“I didn’t lose the fight, though,” Carmine said.

“Sorry to hear that.” 

The first Jackalope Coco had hit came bounding back. Carmine used her Semblance to open a sandpit in front of it while Coco mowed another Jackalope down with her gun. Maybe they were both showing off a little, or maybe they were trying to intimidate each other.

“What about your partner, Bertilak?” Coco asked. “Lose him in a fight, too?”

“Former partner,” Carmine said.

“He’s dead?” Coco asked.

“No, he just needs to … recharge a little.” Carmine laughed, “Why? You interested in the job?” 

“No, thanks. I’ve seen how you work with others.” The last Jackalope dispersed into smoke. “I don’t know; we make a pretty good team,” Carmine said, “But we’re far better enemies.” 

Coco sighed and collapsed her gun into its compact form. She turned to face Carmine. “I’ve been dreaming of a rematch with you,” Coco said. “You’ve been dreaming about me? I’m flattered.” Carmine winked. “But as I was telling our dearly departed friends, I don’t have time for this.”

“Hot date with the Crown?” Coco asked. Carmine briefly looked surprised, but she covered for it by twirling her sai on one finger. “Don’t be jealous, darling.” That wasn’t exactly a no.

Either Carmine didn’t realize she’d confirmed that her employer and the Crown were one and the same, or she just didn’t care. 

Her Sai flew toward Coco’s face. Coco smacked it out of the way with her bag and bolted for Carmine. She put all her strength into a blow across Carmine’s face, but it barely seemed to faze her. A blast of sand slammed into Coco from her left and she went down. Carmine should have been at least a little bit worn down from fighting Grimm. Coco struggled to her feet, but more sand piled on top of her, pushing her down onto her back.

The sand just kept on coming. “Where are Yatsuhashi and Fox?” Carmine asked. “Why aren’t they rushing to your aid?” Coco spat sand out of her mouth and ignored the question.

“Where did you say you were-” She paused to cough. “Going?”

“Nice try,” Carmine laughed. Sand continued to pour over Coco. She would never plan a beach vacation again. If she survived this. The Mirage, she’d said. Why did that sound so familiar? Like she’d heard it before. Or read it somewhere. Coco nudged up her scarf to cover her nose and mouth. She squeezed her eyes shut as she was plunged into darkness and sand clogged her ears. Carmine was burying her alive.

She held her breath. On beach trips with her family, she’d been able to hold her breath for three minutes, and forty-two seconds. But this time she hadn’t been able to take a deep breath first, and her heart was already pounding. Her lungs burned.

If she opened her mouth, it would have been all over.

“Oh, right, you brought the B-team out here.” Carmine’s voice was muffled by the sand covering Coco’s head and going into her ears.

How did Carmine know about the reassigned teams and their missions?

Did she have a mole at Shade Academy?

Because if there was a mole, then Rumpole would have been your first guess.

“Coco?” Reese called.

_I’m right here!_ Coco thought. One of her worst nightmares was being buried alive, but she’d never thought it would happen in the wide-open desert like this. Though, its Vacuo, nothing is ever what it seems.

_I should have woken the team up earlier,_ she thought. Suddenly the sand stopped moving. Carmine was probably occupied now, fighting the rest of Team ROSC. But Coco was still under what felt like three hundred pounds of sand and she was almost out of air. _“Desperate times call for desperate measures”,_ Glynda always said.

Coco had one terrible idea, but if it worked, it was going to hurt. A lot. Coco focused her Semblance on one of the Gravity Dust bullets on her weapon’s purse strap, hyping up the explosive mineral until it-well...exploded.

The shock wave of the gravity blasted the sand off of Coco, but it also exploded the rest of her bullets. The impact knocked her Aura down to a dangerously low level. She wheezed as the air in her lungs was pushed out and then she was gasping to replace it.

Her ears rang and her eyes were bleary, but she was happy to see she had stunned Carmine, who had been standing right on top of her. No, she’d only surprised her. Carmine still seemed as fresh as she had at the beginning of the fight-How was she even doing that?

Reese hurled her hoverboard at Carmine while Olive tossed her pike at her, and it accidentally knocked Reese’s weapon out of the way.

_Idiots,_ Coco thought. They really needed to plan their attacks better.

Carmine noticed right away. “They aren’t exactly Team CFVY, are they?” she asked Coco. That was when Scarlet swung his sword at Carmine and hit her from behind. He got sand in his eyes for the trouble.

“Good thing the cavalry's here,” Carmine said.

Coco looked up to see a Death Stalker heading towards them.

“Uh-oh,” Reese said, whipping around. Coco turned. Another Death Stalker was coming at them from the other direction.

“Nice seeing you again, Coco.” Carmine twirled her fingers in a goodbye. “Thanks for ‘saving’ me.” Her laughter grew distorted and distant as sand whirled around her like a personal storm that slowly drifted away from them and the Grimm that were coming towards them-with Coco’s fear and anger- had summoned.

“Thanks,” Coco said to her team as they formed up. “We’re in real trouble.”

“No kidding,” Scarlet said. “Death Stalkers are no fun.”

“Oh no, we can handle those. Reese and I will take the one on the left, you two take the one on the right.”

“Hey, I’m-” Reese said.’

Coco cut her off. “No offense, but listen to me,” 

“You’re the one who got ambushed in the middle of the night,” Reese grumbled.

“It wasn’t a fair fight,” Coco spat. “But we can’t waste anymore time out here. We’re needed back home. I think Shade has been compromised, and our friends and the school are in danger.” 

If Rumpole was the mole, then she was right. Shade was in danger.

Reese glared at Coco as the Death Stalkers moved in. “I need you guys,” Coco hated how pathetic she sounded, “I’m out of bullets, and I can’t take another hit. But you also need me, because let’s face it, I’m the best strategist around for miles.” She was the best.

“You aren’t wrong,” Scarlet had always imagined what it was like to be on Team CFVY, “We’ll back you up. Right, guys?”

Olive nodded and drew her awl pike silently.

“Fine, but if you get us killed, I’m requesting a new team,” Reese announced.

“Deal. I haven’t lost a team yet,” Coco said. _And I hope that doesn’t change tonight_. She was suddenly struck by a thought. What was it Carmine had said …

_“Where are Yatsuhashi and Fox?”_

Coco felt the blood drain from her face. Why hadn’t Carmine mentioned Velvet?

Maybe because she already knew where Velvet was. Because Velvet was in some kind of trouble.

In spite of everything that had just gone down in the desert, Coco was consumed by one thought now: _I’ve got to find Velvet before Carmine does._

* * *

Neptune had just snuck back onto campus and settled into his room for an ‘exciting’ evening of writing up interview notes when someone pounded on his door.  
  


He froze and listened. Had Rumpole and Theodore caught him for being out late? Even if someone had seen him coming back long after sunset, it wasn’t technically against the rules. Headmaster Theodore had said no one was allowed to leave campus at night. 

The banging resumed. Maybe it was Sun, playing a prank on him. 

Neptune was kind of annoyed Sun had ditched him, again, to go off with a girl he thought needed his help. But mostly Neptune hadn’t wanted to hang out alone with that weird Asturias guy. It would serve Sun right if Neptune just ignored-

_“We know you’re in there, Neptune,”_ Fox sent.

Neptune jumped at the voice in his head, yet also made a sigh of relief to know it was not a teacher. _“Open the door before Yatsuhashi breaks it down.”_ Qrow sent.

Neptune slowly opened the door to see half of Team CFVY and Qrow. He tried to act casual. “Hey, guys. What’s up?”

_“You tell us,”_ Fox sent. _“Do you know where Velvet, Sun and Y/N are?”_ Qrow asked. Neptune could hear his concern even in silence. “You’re standing right in front of me. Why are you using telepathy?” Neptune asked.

“Just answer,” Yatsuhashi said out loud.

“What was the question again?”

“Do you know where Velvet, Sun, and Y/N are?” Qrow repeated. 

“They aren’t answering their Scrolls.”

“I- uhm-I can’t say,” Neptune said, fear rising in his voice.

Fox stepped into the room and cracked his knuckles, and so did Qrow, yet he also cracked his neck, and it scared Neptune.

_“That’s oddly specific phrasing.”_ Fox sent.

Neptune stepped back. He glanced at Yatsuhashi, wondering why he wasn’t trying to be the intimidating one.

Not that either of them had to try to be intimidating. Why was Team CFVY so fucking scary? And why did Qrow look like he could murder someone?

it seemed like even Velvet had an evil side. She was so friendly and cute, but wasn’t that what people always said when they found out someone they knew was a criminal or a serial killer, or a psychopath? She was always so sweet, and everyone liked her. When Neptune saw the news, he could hardly believe she was responsible for that brutal murdering rampage. 

“I mean, I don’t know where they went. How do you know they’re with Sun?” Neptune asked, and rubbed the back of his neck, nervously.

Yatsuhashi held up his Scroll to show him a selfie of Velvet, you, and Sun in front of a wall with a bunch of weapons on it. “So you’re … jealous?” Neptune ventured.

“I’m concerned. Sun is a bad influence, and that doesn’t seem like a friendly place.” Yatsu ducked his head under the doorway and walked into the room. With him inside, the one-hundred-square-foot room seemed suddenly much tinier. 

“Hey, Sun’s a great guy,” Neptune reassured him, “She’s as safe with him as she is with you.” 

“Velvet can handle herself,” Yatsu said.

“ And I know Y/N can too.” Qrow added.

“I’m more worried about what foolishness Sun may have gotten them into. Where are they?” Yatsu asked again, and by the tone in his voice, he was getting impatient.

“Maybe you’re being just a little overprotective?” Neptune squinted and pinched his thumb and index finger together. 

_“We’re Huntsmen,”_ Fox sent. “ _Overprotective is what we do.”_

“Huntsmen in _training_ ,” Neptune said. 

“ I’m not.” Qrow stepped closer.

_“We’re fast learners,”_ Fox sent. “Fox is also very impatient,” Yatsu added, “He doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” 

Neptune grinned. “You’re doing the good cop, bad cop thing. I learned all about this in-”

_“We aren’t cops,”_ Fox sent, “And we’re both in a bad mood.” 

Neptune’s smile faded. 

“Right now, our business is finding the Crown and keeping our friends safe,” Yatsu said.

“What does this have to do with the Crown?” Neptune asked.

“Team ROSC is missing, which means Coco and Scarlet are missing. They were on a mission out in the desert and they haven’t checked in since.” Yatsu said.

“Scarlet’s in trouble?” Neptune asked. He’d be more worried about Scarlet than Sun. 

_“Umber’s also missing,”_ Fox sent, _“And now Velvet, Sun, and Y/N.”_

“Sun, Velvet, and Y/N, aren’t missing,” Neptune said. “But I’m not allowed to tell you where they are.”

_“But you can tell us. Surely we’re an exception,”_ Fox sent.

“Sorry. Sun said not to tell anyone. If I break his trust, he’ll be really upset.” 

“Sun isn’t here,” Yatsuhashi said. 

“Sure, but when he gets back, he’ll be really upset.” Fox and Qrow stepped towards Neptune again, crowding him in the corner between his desk and his overstuffed bookcase. _“He meant Sun isn’t here to stop us,”_ Fox sent and Qrow grinned, _“And we’re upset now.”_

“S-stop you from what?” Neptune reached for his weapon, but the room was too small to use it effectively, and Yatsu, Qrow, and Fox didn’t need weapons to fight him. 

“We have ways of making you talk,” Fox said. “Whoa, you said that bit out loud.” Neptune tilted his head and chuckled nervously, “Somehow that made it creepier.” 

“Good.” Fox smiled.

“You think you can take me?” Neptune said. “Bring it.” He stood in his battle stance and accidentally knocked an action figure off his bookshelf. Qrow chuckled and cracked his knuckles.

It turned out that they could take Neptune all right. They took him out to the courtyard in the plaza. Where Yatsu began to dangle him over the water fountain. Slowly, he started to lower Neptune into it.

Neptune’s face inched closer and closer to the burbling water. He squeezed his eyes shut against the spray from the fountain. He screamed.

_“Great, now I’m deaf, too,”_ Fox sent.

“This isn’t cool, guys!” Neptune talked fast, “You’re better than this!” 

_“Just tell us where Sun took Velvet, and Y/N, and this can all end,”_ Fox sent. 

“ We promise not to drop you into the water if you tell us.” Qrow promised.

Neptune twisted around, trying to get away from the water.

“Easy, I’m going to drop you if you keep that up,” Yatsu said, and his grip tightened on his legs.

“Fox, this is really bothering him.” Yatsu was too nice.

_“That means it’s working,”_ Fox sent.

“ You're being soft.” Qrow folded his arms across his chest.

“Maybe this is too mean.” Yatsuhashi lifted Neptune up about a foot. “Yes! Yes, it’s way too mean!” Neptune shouted.

_“Come on, Yatsuhashi. You’re too soft,”_ Fox sent.

“Better too soft than a bully.” Yatsuhashi swung Neptune away from the fountain.

Fox sighed, and Qrow facepalmed.

“Thank you! You are great. You are merciful,” Neptune blabbered. Yatsu dropped him onto the hard ground.

“Ow.” Neptune scrambled into a sitting position. He was trembling all over, and he didn’t trust himself to stand.

Yatsu crouched next to him. “I’m sorry,” he said. “We went too far on that one. We shouldn’t have been so insensitive about your fear of water and use it against you.”

Fox and Qrow snorted.

“It’s okay,” Neptune said, “But I’m not afraid of water.” 

“You’re... not?” Yatsuhashi asked, “Then what’s your deal?”

“ Sun yelled you were afraid of the water when I was watching your tournament match,” Qrow remarked.

“ You were watching our match?” Neptune asked and Qrow nodded, ” You boys did great, could do a little better on your plans of attack, though..” Qrow said.

“ Back to the water topic!” Yatsu declared.

Fox splashed water out of the fountain, and Neptune shrank away from it.

“Fox,” Yatsu warned.

“You’re really not doing good cop, bad cop?” Neptune sniffed.

“Fox was right. We were both being bad,” Yatsuhashi said. “You want to talk about it?”

_“Really?”_ Fox sent, and Qrow said it out loud at the same time.

Neptune sighed. “I just don’t like getting water in my eyes. That’s why I have these cool goggles.” He lowered his goggles over his eyes. “That’s the best thing about Vacuo. No water.”

“Yeah, thirst and desolation are terrific,” Fox said dryly and Qrow snorted.

“That’s it? You don’t like getting water in your eyes?” Yatsuhashi asked in disbelief.

“It stings!” Neptune covered his ears, “And I hate how it clogs my ears.”

_“I don’t enjoy that, either,”_ Fox sent.

“Okay, then. Tell us what you know or prepare to get water in your eyes and your ears!” Yatsuhashi grabbed Neptune’s jacket. Qrow and Fox smirked at how Yatsuhashi was- finally- not being soft.

“I can’t tell you!” But he couldn’t handle this interrogation anymore, either. Neptune thought fast, pulling out his Scroll and dropping it on the ground between Fox and Qrow, as if it were an accident.

“Oops.”

Yatsuhashi let go of Neptune’s jacket and scooped up the Scroll. He tried to hand it back to Neptune.

Fox and Qrow facepalmed “Oh no,” Neptune said, pretending to be scared. “Please don’t look at my private text messages.”

Yatsuhashi knitted his brow together in confusion.

“From my dear friend Sun,” Neptune hissed. Qrow took the Scroll out of Yatsu’s hand.

Yatsuhashi glanced up for a moment at the night sky, confused. Then he said, “Oh!” He looked at the Scroll in Qrow’s hands and Qrow started thumbing through the apps. Soon Qrow tossed the Scroll into Neptune’s lap.

“I knew Sun was a bad influence,” Yatsu said, “They went to a club called the Mirage.”

“Let’s go,” Fox said.

“For the record, I didn’t tell you that,” Neptune said, “And you searched my Scroll without a warrant.”

“You aren’t going anywhere.” Just then Professor Rumpole strode into the courtyard.

_“Crap,”_ Fox sent.

“ Hey Professor Rumpole.” The students waved nervously.

“What’s going on here?” she demanded to know, “What was all that screaming about?”

Yatsuhashi glanced at Neptune.

“Your fault,” Neptune said.

Yatsuhashi took a deep breath and seemed to make a decision. “Professor,” he said, “we think the Crown is holding some Shade students at a club called the Mirage. We’re going there now to rescue them.”

Rumpole scowled, as if she had no concern for Velvet, you, or Sun at all. Her voice was eerily quiet and cold. “You are doing no such thing. And anyone who has defied the headmaster’s orders is no longer a student at this academy.”

“ Rumpole-” Qrow started, but Rumpole interrupted him and walked towards him.

“ _You.”_ She hissed and Qrow pointed at himself, “You are- well was- a teacher! You shouldn't be accepting this foolishness from them! You know better than that, Qrow.”

“ Rumpole, what is going on with you?! First the reinitiation, now the curfew, and it's like you don't care for the missing students! This isn't the Rumpole I remember from Beacon.”

“They also didn’t technically sneak out,” Neptune added, “If they simply didn’t return before curfew. Wait, you went to Beacon?”

Professor Rumpole glared at Qrow then Neptune.

“But hey, you make the rules,” Neptune said and put his hands up in surrender.

Yatsu stepped forward to try again. “Professor Rumpole, Velvet, Y/N and Sun are in trouble. With the Grimm problems on the edge of the city, you need every Huntsman on deck. I’m sure you can’t afford to divert resources to this, and you don’t have to.”

“You’ve shown enormous trust in our abilities to handle ourselves on missions and none of our abilities have changed, ” Fox jumped in, “You can’t both train us to fight for what’s right and then prevent us from doing so just because the stakes are higher. We need to find our friends.”

“ Come on Rumpole, just listen to the kids.” Qrow said, “ Or at least listen to me.” 

Rumpole went to Beacon with Qrow, and they were like best friends. Same with Summer. He remembered how upset she was when she found out about Summer’s disappearance. 

Professor Rumpole raised an eyebrow, considering. “You make some good points.”

“We’ve fought the worst the world can throw at us, and survived,” Fox said.

But that point didn’t strengthen the argument. Qrow and Rumpole exchanged a look at each other, knowing it wasn't the worst. “You haven’t fought the worst. You haven’t seen anything yet,” Rumpole said, grimacing. 

“ Rumpole.” Qrow’s voice was low.

“Ozpin and Goodwitch placed too much trust in their students. They put everything on the line, and you weren’t up to the task. What makes you think you can defeat the Crown? Or what comes next?”

“ _Rumpole.”_ Qrow hissed.

Yatsuhashi was undeterred, “We still have to try,” Yatsu wouldn't give up.

“We can’t just hide here and wait for them to come to us,” Neptune added.

“I admire your attitude, but I simply cannot allow you to continue pursuing the Crown.”

“That’s oddly specific phrasing,” Fox said. “Can’t or won’t?”

Rumpole flashed him a withering glare. “What I mean is: Stay out of it.”

“With all due respect-”

“Fox,” Yatsu and Qrow warned.

Fox smiled. “Then please expel us from Shade, Professor. We’re not going to sit here and do nothing-it’s not what Huntsmen would do. And I don’t want to be here if that’s all you have to teach me. So I think it’s time for us to go now.”

Rumpole moved fast. With her left hand she reached beneath the hair at the back of her head and pulled out a large spoked wheel with rimmed edges. “Where were you hiding that?” Neptune asked in disbelief.

Qrow pulled out Harbinger. 

Neptune put his hands up, “ Woah, Woah, Woah! We're not actually fighting her! Are we?”

“ You boys don't have too, but I've fought with her before. I know all of her weaknesses.” Qrow’s grip tightened on the handle of Harbinger.

With her right hand, she pulled on the golden cord that bound her hair. Her hair fell loose, branching behind her, and the cord wrapped itself around the edge of the wheel, which spun in her hand and drew it in. Then she drew her left hand back and tossed the wheel like toward them while holding on to the cord.

The spinning wheel zoomed toward Neptune, Yatsuhashi, Qrow, and Fox. Then it wrapped the cord around the 4 of them, binding them together, arms pressed tightly to their sides.

“You were saying?” Rumpole asked.

_“_ I thought you knew all her weaknesses,” Fox said, aiming it at Qrow.

“ Okay, so it's been a while..” He said and saw Harbinger lying on the ground by Rumpole. She picked it up, “ Qrow when is the last time you upgraded Harbinger?” She asked.

“ Jimmy, and his scientists did a month or so ago.” She winced at his words. She wasn't a fan of Atlas,“ I remember Jimmy. How's he doing?l

“ Rumpole, untie us.”

“ Now where's the fun in that?” She must have been pretty strong to hold Harbinger without her back even slouching.

As Qrow and Rumpole got into a heated argument. Yatsuhashi grunted and strained at the bindings, tightening them even more.

Neptune gasped. “Yatsuhashi! Stop! Can’t breathe.”

_“What just happened?”_ Fox sent.

_“She’s been carrying some kind of wheel on her back,” Neptune returned. “And she wrapped a cord around it, then spun it toward us, tying us up.”_

_“ It's her weapon.”_ Qrow sent.

_“I can’t believe she’s been carrying that thing around all this time, “_ Yatsu sent.

Rumpole’s wheel returned to her. “I’m disappointed. If this is the best you can do, then maybe we should expel you. You certainly don’t belong here.” 

Fox was cheerful, since he knew the way out. He flicked his wrists and the binding came loose at once. “Arm blades for the win,” he said. “Nice try, Professor!” He ran toward her, and she fled.

“Are we really doing this?” Neptune asked as Qrow picked up Harbinger.

Yatsu and Qrow followed Fox. _“Something’s not right. Why is she fighting us?”_ Qrow asked.

Fox nodded, “ _You know the rule at Shade- the strong survive. Normally, she would never fight to keep us here. She’d just let us leave. We need to figure out what’s going on and get to Theodore. There has to be a reason she’s holding us back.”_

“I guess we’re doing this.” Neptune joined the chase, all too conscious of the water fountain nearby. _Only as a last resort_ , he thought. A last, last resort.

Metal clanged against metal as Fox and Qrow slashed at Rumpole and she blocked the tonfa and Harbinger with her wheel, using it alternately as a shield and as a weapon. She pushed it toward them, smacking them in the face and knocking them backwards, then in the same motion spun around and hurled the wheel at Yatsuhashi.

Yatsuhashi drew his sword and deflected the disc, which bounced off the fountain and went flying back to Rumpole. She held up what remained of her golden cord to catch the edge of the wheel, then whipped it back toward Yatsuhashi. He ducked as it passed over his head. But he wasn’t able to stop the cord from wrapping around his neck. Rumpole pulled on it and he struggled, his face turning red.

“ RUMPOLE!” Qrow yelled and ran towards Yatsu.

Qrow sliced the cord with Harbinger and Yatsu caught his breath. Neptune drew Tri-Hard and transformed the gun into a trident. He jabbed it at Rumpole, activating the yellow Dust to shock her. The electricity arced over the gold lining of her coat harmlessly.

She jumped out of the way as Fox came at her, dropping and sweeping her leg to trip him. Fox fell down. She tossed her cloak and it wrapped around him, delivering an electric jolt that made him convulse.

“Oops,” Neptune said. “Sorry!”

“I can do this all night,” Rumpole said furiously. “But I’ll make a deal with you. You can leave if you defeat me in battle, or if you guess my name.”

“Rumpole!” Neptune said.

Everyone lowered their weapons and glared at Neptune.

Rumpole rolled her eyes. “My first name.”

Neptune looked her over as she traded blows with Yatsuhashi. He was strong, but she was small and nimble, and she kept getting jabs in with her wheel and blocking his sword. Her golden cord was coiled at her waist.

Qrow had to have remembered this, he's known her for 20 years! But her name was in the back of his head. She barely even used her first name at Beacon.

He knew it was related to gold.

_“ It's related to gold!”_ Qrow sent and came at Rumpole yet she blocked it-again-with her wheel and she pushed it towards him, sending him stumbling back.

“Aurora!” Fox called.

“Nope.” Rumpole grinned.

“Goldie,” Yatsuhashi shouted.

“Goldie?” Qrow and Rumpole repeated incredulously, and Rumpole laughed. Qrow knew for a _fact_ that ‘Goldie’ wasn't her name. 

Rumpole was winning the fight, and it was literally 1 against 4.

“ADA,” Fox muttered. “List names that mean or are related to gold.”

He paused and then started rattling them off in alphabetical order, while the 4 of them continued trading blows with Rumpole. They were getting some hits in, but she must have had a very high level of Aura because they weren’t slowing her down one bit.

“Cressida!” Fox yelled.

“I always liked that name, but no,” Rumpole said.

Everyone became aware that they had gathered a crowd of spectators’ including Headmaster Theodore. The Shade students were finally showing some interest in them.

“Headmaster, aren’t you going to do something to stop her?” Neptune called.

Headmaster Theodore flashed him a thumbs-up, “This is all you.”

“ Theodore!” Qrow yelled but Theodore just laughed in response.

“It seems your last lesson as students here will be one on humility,” Professor Rumpole growled. “The world will not stop to give you what you want, no matter what Ozpin may have taught you.”

“ RUMPOLE!” Qrow yelled and Rumpole flinched. He wouldn't just let her say shit about Ozpin.

Neptune was worn out already, and Yatsu, Fox, and Qrow were struggling, too, starting to make mistakes.

“ _Maybe we should just make a run for it,” Yatsuhashi sent._

_“What do you think I’ve been trying to do?” Neptune sent, “She’s too fast.”_

Finally, Fox shouted, “Xanthe!” 

“ Where?!” Qrow spun around, looking for the Xanthe he knew from Atlas. But he then realized that was actually Rumpole’s first name and Professor Rumpole stopped.

Her face was red with anger. “You cheated!” She stomped her foot. The cobblestones cracked from the impact.

“Did not,” Fox said.

“Someone told you my name!” She glared at Qrow and he put his hands up, “ Don't look at me!” He yelled, “ I didn't even remember.”

“I guessed it, fair and square. Now do the honorable thing and let us go.”

Rumpole’s shoulders slumped. She seemed to give up. “Fine. You can go,” she said. As Fox walked past her warily, the crowd of students and teachers clapped.

“Xanthe.” Headmaster Theodore shook his head, “I never would have guessed that.”

As Neptune walked by Professor Rumpole, he nodded, “Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” she said, her eyes narrowed. 

“ Wait. Neptune, move!” Qrow yelled, but it was too late.

She grabbed his arm and her eyes flashed gold.

Neptune felt his arm stiffen and grow heavy. Suddenly he couldn’t move.

The students who were watching had gasped and fell silent.

Fox stopped walking. “ _What? What happened? What’s wrong with Neptune?”_

_“I’m okay,” Neptune managed. “I think.”_

His arm was covered in gold. No, it was gold-at least the sleeve of his jacket was. In fact, so was the whole jacket. 

“She turned him into gold,” Yatsu said in disbelief.

“My clothes, anyway,” Neptune said. Neptune suddenly lurched backward as someone picked him up.

“We’re going,” Yatsuhashi said.

“Uh, Yatsuhashi. Put me down!” Neptune said. “I don’t like this!” 

“Fight’s not over,” Rumpole said. She swung her wheel toward Yatsuhashi, but he blocked it with Neptune. Metal changed Metal. Neptune felt the shock of the impact. Fox and Qrow ran back into the battle.

“Put! Me! Down!” Neptune yelled.

Yatsuhashi threw Neptune towards Rumpole.

“Not what I meant!” Neptune called.

Rumpole took the full force of the blow and went down for the first time-good. Then Neptune’s left glove turned to gold- not so good.

Qrow winced. He should have remembered about her semblance.

“Don’t let her touch me anymore!” Neptune yelled.

Yatsuhashi darted forward, but instead of striking Rumpole with his sword, he placed his hand on her forehead.

_What is he doing?_ Qrow thought.

“I’m sorry,” Yatsuhashi whispered.

Rumpole’s eyes widened and she collapsed to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I chose Xanthe Renald as an OC before I read Before The Dawn. So uh...yea.


	51. The Lost and Missing of Vacuo.

Somehow, Professor Rumpole, passing out, seemed to rouse Headmaster Theodore from his admiration for the fight. “Enough!” his voice rumbled. “This battle is over.”

“Sure, because we beat her,” Fox muttered.

Yatsuhashi righted Neptune. “Thanks for the assist.”

“What did you do to her?” Neptune asked.

“What I had to do,” said Yatsuhashi sadly. He wiped the last 30 minutes from her memory. It was his Semblance.

Headmaster Theodore and Qrow knelt at Rumpole’s side. They watched her, worried, until her eyes fluttered open. She bolted upright. “Theo? Birdie? Where am I? What happened?” She looked at Neptune. “Did I do that to you?”

Qrow blinked. He hadn't been called Birdie in such a long time. Yet he was happy. it reminded him of his days back at Beacon, getting comfy on the couch with a warm hot chocolate in his hands. Sometimes, Professor Ozpin would accompany him and Summer in the dorm's common room.

Everyone had never been so glad to hear the professor’s voice. “Yup. Now can you undo it?”

“Sorry, my Semblance doesn’t work that way.” It almost sounded like she wanted to help. Rumpole looked at her hand. “Some deeds can never be undone.”

“But this is my favorite jacket,” Neptune pointed.

“You can sell it and buy a hundred more of them now,” Fox said. 

“Everyone, please return to your rooms.” Theodore raised his hand and turned to Rumpole. 

“Let’s get you out of here.”

  
Neptune, Fox, and Yatsuhashi, accompanied Headmaster Theodore, Qrow and Professor Rumpole to her classroom while the rest of the crowd dispersed.

“What do you remember from before the fight?” Theodore asked.

Rumpole’s eyes widened. “Everything.”

Neptune, Yatsu, Fox, and Qrow, weren’t sure they wanted her to remember everything. But she had more to say. Rumpole shook her head and pleaded with the headmaster. “Theo, that wasn’t me. The reinitiation, the curfew ... I never would have suggested those things.”

His face serious, Theodore replied, “I know. I mean, now I know. You must have been under some kind of mind control, until Mr. Daichi here did ...” Theodore looked at Yatsuhashi and waved a hand, “Something.”

“I only tried to make her forget the last half hour so we could get away,” Yatsuhashi explained.

“You erased her memories of the fight, but somehow your Semblance also broke the mental suggestion she was under,” Theodore said. “Xanthe-”

Rumpole was shocked. “How do you know my name?”

“Lucky guess.” He chuckled then shook his head. “Rumpole. How did this happen to you? When did it happen?”

Rumpole’s voice was slow, as if she was still struggling to process it. “A few weeks ago I went to the Wastelands,” she said. “Some of the Huntsmen said they had information on the whereabouts of the Crown. So they led me out there.” She blinked a few times. “And it was a trap. I couldn’t beat them. Though we fought for hours, and they finally overwhelmed me. Since then, I’ve been working for the Crown. I can’t believe it. It was worse than mind control ... I _wanted_ to help them. I believed in their cause.”

“But who is the Crown?” Theodore asked. Apparently, the headmaster knew a lot less than some of his students. 

“I don’t know for sure. Whatever they did to me, whomever did it, I never even saw them. I was just instructed to disrupt things at Shade Academy as much as possible. So I did.” Rumpole said.

“But why?” Neptune asked, “Why would the Crown be worried about students like us?”

“We were getting close to discovering them,” Fox realized, “Sounds like the reinitiation and the curfew Rumpole suggested to the headmaster were supposed to stop us, or at least slow us down.”

“Weaken us,” Yatsuhashi added. “Professor, does this look familiar?” He held up his Scroll and showed her a picture. It was a selfie that Velvet, you, and Sun had taken at the Mirage. Then he zoomed in on something in the background. A golden sai.

“I did that,” Rumpole said, the memory coming back to her. “I captured that sai myself. I was fighting a Huntress named-”

“Carmine Esclados, the woman we stopped in the desert.”

“Yes. She’s also a former student.” Rumpole’s eyes narrowed. “We fought in a cage match at a club called the Mirage. She was stronger than she was before. Everyone there was.”

Her eyes widened and she whispered something into Qrow and Theodore’s ears.

“ Rumpole, you're joking.” Qrow shook his head, “ It can't be her.”

“ It is her. I saw it all. “ She confirmed. Theodore’s and Qrow’s eyes widened.

Neptune, Yatsu, and Fox were confused, “ What is it?” Fox asked.

“ I-Uhm, nothing to concern you kids.” Fox heard the concern in Qrow’s voice. He was about to protest until Neptune spoke up. 

“Hey, so if this was all because of the Crown, does that mean we can go back to our old teams?” Neptune asked. Did he actually want to be back on a team with Sun? Scarlet and Sage didn't want to. At. All.

Headmaster Theodore nodded. “Knowing what we know now, I think that would be most wise. As soon as everyone is safely back at Shade. But we don’t want to tip our hand ... it might be better if the Crown still believes Rumpole is under their influence.”

“Students are missing?” Rumpole asked, concerned and distressed, “Because of me?” 

“That’s why we were fighting,” Yatsuhashi pointed out, “It turns out Velvet, Sun and Y/N are at the Mirage.” He looked meaningfully at Neptune. “It just took some... encouraging... for the whole story to come out.” Qrow snorted at the memory of Neptune screaming.

“Team ROSC is missing, too. They were on a mission in the Wastelands,” Fox added.

“Then they’re in danger,” Rumpole said in an anxious voice. “There’s a Crown base out there. I’ll go. If they think I’m still working with them, they’ll let me pass.”

“You’re in no condition to fight,” Theodore said. “I’ll gather the Huntsmen.”

Rumpole grabbed his arm. “No. We can’t trust them. Many of them have been compromised.”

“Professors, then.” 

“Like me?” Rumpole shook her head. “No telling who else they’ve subverted.”

“Then who can we trust?” Theodore roared. Clearly, the stress was getting to him.

“ I'll go.” Qrow announced.

Yatsuhashi raised his hand.

“Send us,” Fox said without even waiting to be recognized. “Absolutely not!” Theodore said, “ Me and Qrow will go.”

Yatsuhashi turned toward the desert. “The Crown is obviously planning something, and if they realize Professor Rumpole isn’t under their control anymore, they might try something drastic. They might attack the school. So we have to go now and get our friends back. And then we’ll be ready for whatever they try next.” Rumpole nodded, meeting Theodore’s gaze. “They can do this. My objections about them earlier-That wasn’t me. It was the Crown’s doing.” Theodore looked each of them over. Then he nodded grudgingly. “You wouldn’t be here otherwise. But you’ll stay in contact, and you won’t take any stupid chances.”

“I’ll take some students to the Wastelands,” Fox declared.

“And we’ll go to the Mirage,” Neptune said, then pointed at Yatsu and Qrow.

“We’ll bring back Velvet, Sun and Y/N,” Yatsuhashi said. 

“Just one thing first,” Neptune said.

“What’s that?”

“Um, can I go back to my room and change? This gold jacket is really cramping my style. And my arms.”

* * *

Yatsuhashi, Neptune and Qrow, followed the directions from Professor Rumpole to a squat building on the edge of town.

“Looks abandoned,” Neptune said. “Are you sure this is it?”

“I’ve been here before. We should have fought our way inside earlier.” Yatsuhashi and Qrow looked at Neptune and then Yatsuhashi turned away, covering his mouth to contain his laughter. Yet Qrow just burst out laughing.

“What?” Neptune said.

Yatsuhashi put up a hand. “I’m sorry, but I can’t take you seriously wearing that fake mustache.” Not that he’d ever been able to take him seriously before.

Neptune stroked the bushy black mustache and Yatsuhashi couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing.

“It’s a disguise!” Neptune said. “We’re going undercover.”

“It doesn’t even match your hair!” Yatsuhashi howled, “These silver armbands are our disguises.” Qrow said in between his laughs. Professor Rumpole said all the Crown’s supporters wore them as a sign of their loyalty and allegiance.

Neptune sighed and peeled off the mustache. Qrow stopped laughing.

“That’s better.” Yatsuhashi and Qrow said. Yatsu stopped laughing and pressed his hand against the reinforced steel door. He could feel vibrations on the other side but didn’t have the ability to make sense of them. Fox, you, or Velvet might have been able to know what was happening, but all Yatsu knew was that something was going on.

He knocked on the door. A panel slid open and eyes appeared in the narrow opening.

“Who do we fight for?” a deep voice intoned.

Professor Rumpole had given them the passphrase, too, as it was lodged in her memory now. “For crown and kingdom,” Qrow said.

“Professor Rumpole sent us,” Neptune piped up. “From Shade.” Then Neptune winked. Qrow and Yatsu admired and appreciated how he was embracing his role.

The eyes considered the two for a while. Yatsuhashi tensed, waiting for a problem that could’ve happened. He wondered if he would be able to beat down the door this time.

He could just manage it, for Velvet, or he would die trying.

Then at last the panel slid closed. A lock was undone and the door swung open to reveal a man about Yatsuhashi’s size on the other side. Yatsuhashi made sure he saw the silver armband around his arm.

“Check your weapons and Dust,” the bouncer said.

Yatsuhashi handed over Fulcrum. The guard weighed it appreciatively. “Nice sword.”

“Thank you,” Yatsuhashi said.

Neptune passed over Tri-Hard. “Dust is inside,” Neptune offered. 

Qrow gave him Harbinger, “ Dust?” The guard asked but Qrow shook his head, “ Dust is inside.” it felt weird for Qrow not to have Harbinger on his back.

The guard turned to Yatsu.

“Oh, no Dust,” Yatsuhashi shook his head, “Don’t need it.”

“Good for you! Go on back. The boss is watching the fights. Enjoy!”

“Friendly guy,” Neptune whispered as they walked down the dimly lit corridor toward the sounds of clapping, chanting, and cheering. Whoever was fighting had a lot of fans.

“He thinks we’re on his side,” Yatsuhashi reminded him. 

He didn’t like how light he felt without the weight of his greatsword on his back or in his hand. Nor did Qrow without Harbinger.

They followed the loud music to the end of a hall and emerged into a room that looked somehow larger than the building, with steps that led down into the floor, creating a huge area below surface level. A giant gold cage occupied the center, and two people were fighting inside it.

“Looks like Rumpole left her mark on the place,” Neptune said. Yatsuhashi pointed to the golden sai on the opposite wall. “There’s the sai from Velvet’s picture.”

Qrow had scanned the room, trying to find a girl who was possibly wearing a pink leather jacket. He saw bunny ears sticking out, though. He and Yatsu walked towards them. Neptune close behind them both as they pushed through the crowd. 

then there was Velvet, and Yatsu didn't care about anyone else anymore. He started to put a hand on her shoulder, but stopped, remembering she didn’t like it when people snuck up on her. He was not in the mood to get thrown across the room.

“Velvet!” he said. She turned around, shock on her face. “Yatsuhashi! What are you doing here?” That wasn’t the reaction he’d been expecting. There was shock but no relief.

“Erm. Are you all right?” he asked.

Velvet beamed like she was completely at home. “I’m great! This place is great!”

“You aren’t ... in any trouble?” Yatsuhashi prompted. She just rose up on her tiptoes and leaned toward him. “The Crown is here.” She winked.

Yatsuhashi didn’t know what to make of that. Was this for real? All he could do was look around for the Crown. “Is that him?” he asked Velvet, nodding at a white guy in a suit watching the fight from a balcony.

She collapsed into laughter. “Definitely not.” She paused, as if understanding something. “Do you want to meet the Crown?” she asked.

“You know them?” Neptune and Qrow gave Yatsuhashi a worried look.

Yatsuhashi was worried about something else now. “Velvet, where's Y/N and Sun?” he asked.

Velvet just pointed at the cage.

They looked at the cage and one of the fighters was someone Yatsu recognized-that short guy in the green tank top was one of the thugs he had crossed a few days ago. And there was someone swinging from the bars of the cage like-

“Sun!” Neptune said. “What’s he doing?”

“He’s fighting, silly,” Velvet said, like she saw this every day.

“ Velvet.” Qrow's voice was soft, yet there was a hint of concern and worry, “ Where's Y/N?” She pointed to a table that wasn't very far. You were sitting at a table, alone, and watched the fight, deeply. 

“And Sun Wukong wins again!” the announcer called out. Sun bowed. He was wearing a gold crown. 

“ Y/N.” Qrow sat down beside you at the table. He had never been more happy to see that pink leather jacket with a White Fang emblem on it.

“ Qrow?” You were shocked, “ Did you follow me here? What did I say about following me? I told you I could take care of myself.” You folded your arms across your chest.

Qrow was not expecting that.

“I'm here to get you out of here.”

You scoffed, “ Why?”

“ To get you away from the Crown!” He hissed and you scoffed again, “ The Crown actually trusts me, and _doesn't_ follow me. They don't hide secrets from me like you and General Ironwood did. They actually want me for who I am, not who the Ace-ops or everyone back in Atlas thinks I should be. They don't care if I'm the leader of the White Fang. So you can kiss your ass goodbye to me getting out of here.” You snarled.

Qrow widened his eyes. He put a hand on your shoulder, “ Y/N, this isn't you. You're under some sort of Mind Control.”

You started laughing, “ Mind Control? Qrow, has your bird brain taken over? You're crazy. “

Yatsuhashi walked over and Qrow noticed that Neptune and Velvet were already leaving.

Yatsuhashi put a hand on your forehead, “ Sorry.” He whispered. He hated having to use his semblance. Your eyes glazed over and Qrow caught you as you went limp. 

After a few seconds, you bolted upright, “Qrow? Yatsu? Oh, thank the brothers!” You hugged them both and Qrow had never been so happy to hear your voice. 

“ I am never letting you go anywhere alone in Vacuo. Ever. Again.” He said. You rolled your eyes but chuckled and stood up, “ I'm gonna try using my Semblance on Sun and Umber. You guys get out of here.” You both nodded and left.

Yatsuhashi tried to use his Semblance on Umber- well he did- but she wasnt under any Mind Control, because she was actually willingly _loyal_ to the Crown. He couldn't believe it. How could someone he knew just be fine with the Crown taking her classmates? Her friends?

He was taken by security and into the Cage and he fought Sun. He was able to get him out of there but then someone else had entered the cage before Yatsuhashi could have left.

“Great,” Yatsu muttered. It was Carmine Esclados.

She tossed her bright red hair back and grinned, her sai floating just over her right shoulder.

“That hardly seems fair,” Yatsuhashi said, his eye on her weapon.

“If you wanted fair, you should have stayed out of Vacuo,” she shot back. Aggressively, Carmine strode toward him.

Yatsuhashi backed up. He had used too much of his Semblance so his Aura was low.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Yatsuhashi said quietly.

His concern was wasted on Carmine. “As if!” Carmine retorted. She swung her leg toward him and the heel of her shoe sliced Yatsuhashi’s chest, shattering his Aura. Her shoes had blades in them. Of course they did.

Yatsu hit the floor.

He should probably get up. He needed to get up. But that last kick had done him in. He watched as blood poured from the wound. He wasn’t sure he could actually move.

  
As everything went murky and black he heard Carmine say, “I thought he’d last longer.”

“You need to take better care of your toys. That’s the third one this week,” Umber said.

“Gill will fix him,” Carmine said. “At least I won’t go back empty- handed.”

Then Yatsuhashi heard some commotion somewhere else in the club. Gunfire and shouting that sounded far away. The lights went out, but he wasn’t sure if that was the club lights or his vision. People screamed.

That had to be his friends fighting his way out...but...he’d done everything he-

* * *

Scarlet’s gun was out of bullets. So was Coco’s. Olive’s pike was out of Gravity Dust. And Reese was down, trying to recover some Aura. 

They were all sheltering in the metal skeleton of an old Dust mining rig. Most of it was buried deep in the sand, leaving just the apex, a short tower that gave them some protection from the Grimm. But it also allowed the Grimm to pin them down and surround them. 

Scarlet borrowed Reese’s hoverboard to fly out and hack at a Death Stalker with his sword. But it was slow work, and the Grimm kept coming. 

Coco fended off the Dromedons with nothing but her handbag, her fists, and her badass attitude. 

Though Olive couldn’t manipulate gravity anymore, her weapon’s blade had been infused with it, so it always flew back to her when she threw it. This was coming in handy against the Ravager that had just joined the party. By throwing the trusty weapon constantly at the large flying creature, she was keeping it at bay and gradually inflicting damage. But it was still too slow. 

“Any ideas?” Coco shouted. Scarlet coughed. The battle was kicking up a lot of sand, clouding the air around them and making them choke. They ran out of water hours ago. 

“We keep fighting!” he said. No other choice.

“Give me back my board!” Reese called. 

Scarlet glanced down and saw her swaying unsteadily, but she was on her feet. 

“You should keep resting,” Coco yelled. 

“You aren’t the boss of me!” Reese called back.

Scarlet jumped off the hoverboard and glided onto the Death Stalker’s back. He had already managed to hack through most of the Grimm’s tail, which dragged behind it in the sand, slowing it down. Its left pincer was cracked and broken. He jabbed his sword downward. As the Death Stalker collapsed, Reese’s board zipped back to her. 

Scarlet rejoined his team, eyeing the Ravager in the air nervously. “Where are they all coming from?” Olive asked. “I’m more interested in what’s drawing them to the Wastelands,” Coco said. 

“We’re under stress, but that doesn’t account for this many Grimm. And they’ve been encroaching on the Wastelands for weeks, before we even got here.”

“You’d think they would be more attracted to the city,” Scarlet said. 

“Way more stressed-out people there, plus a school full of hormonal teens.” Coco grinned and went back to beating up Grimm.

_“Need some help?”_ Fox’s voice intruded on Scarlet and Coco’s thoughts. They looked around. “Fox!” Coco shouted. “Fox?” Reese and Olive looked confused. “It’s a thing he does,” Coco and Scarlet said. 

_“I brought some friends. Hope there are enough Grimm to go around.”_ Scarlet and Coco expected to see Yatsuhashi and Velvet, but when Fox arrived, Sage, Nolan, and Octavia were with him.

“Special delivery!” Nolan said, tossing a bandolier of bullets to Coco. “Already charged with fire Dust.” Coco whooped. 

“You are my favorite person right now.” She opened her gun and reloaded it. 

_“I heard that,” Fox sent. “I’m the one who thought to bring you ammo, you know.”_

_“You think of everything,” Coco sent_. 

Nolan handed Scarlet a pack of bullets. “Just normal bullets for you.” Scarlet winked at him, “That’s all I need. Thank you.” 

With Fox, Nolan, and Octavia fresh for the battle, Scarlet, Coco, Reese, and Olive rallied. Together they managed to make short work of the remaining two Jackalopes and the final Death Stalker. 

“How’d you find us?” Coco asked Fox when the teams came together, exhausted.

The sky was beginning to lighten as dawn neared. Fox tilted his head. “Don’t be rude, Coco. What she meant to say was thank you!” Reese said. “Good looking out,” Olive said. 

  
Coco gritted her teeth. “I always say what I mean,” she said. “Sure. Thanks. But what are you doing here? Did Rumpole send you?” 

“Well, that’s a bit of a story,” Fox said to the group of eight. He caught them up on what had been going down since they’d left Shade Academy. That last update-about Velvet, You, Sun and the Mirage-was what Coco cared most about. “We have to get to the Mirage. Carmine was heading there, too.”

“Not so fast,” Fox said. “Yatsuhashi, Neptune and Qrow can handle it. But Rumpole said the Crown has another base out here in the Wastelands, so here we are.”

“How do we even find it?” Nolan asked.

“I can detect a large group of people nearby,” Fox said.

“What?” Reese folded her arms. “You can do what now? In addition to the …” She waved her hand around. “Head-talky thing?” Fox shrugged. “It’s an Aura thing. I can sense it, even distinguish one person from another if I know them well enough.”

“So is it another settlement nearby?” Sage asked, worried. “Not exactly,” Fox said. He stomped his foot and took a deep breath. “Actually, they’re beneath us.” “

Seriously?” Coco tossed up her hand. “I know how this goes.”

“I’ve noticed that there’s a strong CCT signal here, too,” Olive said. She held up her Scroll. “But it’s encrypted, which is why we couldn’t call for help.” 

“Backup,” Coco corrected her. Olive rolled her eyes, “Whatever. It’s strongest right here, where we’re standing.” Octavia looked up at the mining rig looming over their heads. “So you think this is some kind of pirate CCT tower? Aren’t you a smartie?” Olive blushed. 

“So how do we get down there?” Reese asked. “I don’t see an entrance.” Fox held up his hands. “You’re asking the wrong guy.” 

“If this is a mining rig, there has to be a mine, right?” Scarlet looked around. Then he looked down. “If it’s buried under the sand, how can anyone get in and out of it?” Reese asked.

“Carmine can move sand,” Coco and Fox said at once. “ _Whoa, that was weird,”_ Fox sent. “Carmine Esclados’s Semblance is telekinesis,” Coco explained. “Like Professor Goodwitch?” Nolan asked. Coco pinched her fingers together. “Sort of. She can only move small things, but sand is very, very small.” Sage kicked some sand. “That’s gonna take us a while. And we didn’t bring shovels.”

“Does anyone have Gravity Dust?” Coco asked. They took inventory and came up with enough Gravity Dust to fuel Olive’s awl pike. “But I can still only fire a few Gravity waves,” Olive said. “Not enough to move all this sand.” 

“Leave that part to me,” Coco smirked. “I can enhance the effect of the Dust. You guys might want to stand clear.” The team scrambled to get away from the tower as Coco and Olive stood before it. They looked at each other and nodded. Olive started spinning her pike like a baton, and Coco concentrated. Suddenly a gravity pulse burst from Olive’s weapon, which blasted a massive wave of sand away from the bottom of the tower. 

When the sand had cleared, Scarlet wiped grit and tears from his eyes. The full mining rig was visible, and an entrance had been bored into the bedrock at its base. The group moved toward it. “Someone should probably stay out here,” Scarlet said, “We don’t know what we’re going to find in there.” 

“If Carmine’s involved, chances are it’s going to be a fight,” Coco said. Though Fox and Scarlet knew she was mostly worried about whether Carmine was targeting Velvet right now. “I’ll keep watch,” Nolan said quietly. Sage rolled his eyes, but Scarlet elbowed him and shook his head. 

Scarlet guessed Sage was viewing the gesture as cowardice, but Scarlet thought it was actually brave of Nolan to volunteer to stay topside on his own-with the combined threat of Grimm and Crown henchmen in the area. Especially knowing how vulnerable the guy was to the possibility of losing even more friends.

Coco raised an eyebrow. “That’s a good idea. If something happens to us-” 

“I’ll come after you,” Nolan said. 

“No, you go back to Shade and tell them what we found,” Fox said. Coco nodded and sided with her former teammate. “Exactly.”

_“If we’re going to split up, we might as well use teamspeak,” Fox sent. “It will help cut down on the noise, too.”_

Coco was breathing fast and she was perspiring, even though the desert had cooled considerably overnight. “You okay?” Scarlet whispered. She nodded and tapped the side of her glasses. The lenses glowed amber. “I am now,” she said. “Thanks to BunnyVision.”

“Bunny-what?” 

“Night vision glasses, courtesy of Velvet.” Scarlet wasn’t sure what that meant, but he resolved to keep an eye on her through whatever happened next.

They all filed into the underground bunker. Just before he went in, Scarlet glanced back at the entrance and Nolan waved. Scarlet grinned and flashed him a thumbs-up. Then he stepped into darkness. The air was stale and the walls were close.

Coco and Fox took the lead, guiding the group with her boosted sight and his Semblance. Olive brought up the rear, using her naturally enhanced Faunus sight and hearing to guard their flank. 

They walked in a close pack along old broken cart tracks on a decline. _“I’ll keep Nolan looped into teamspeak as long as I can so he knows what’s going on,” Fox sent. “Thanks,” Nolan sent, “See anything yet?” Fox sighed softly._

_“It’s dark down here. Just a long passage leading down … Oh, hold on,”_ Coco cut in.

She’d spotted something. _“Four paths, in the cardinal directions,”_ Coco sent. _“The south cave has collapsed, but there’s still three choices: north, west, and east. I can’t see far down any of them.”_ Reese came up with a plan. _“So Coco, Fox, and Olive each lead me, Sage, Scarlet, and Octavia down one of the paths,”_ she sent.

_“Wait,” Olive sent. “I hear voices this way. I’m pointing east, but you probably can’t see that.”_

_“East? That’s back toward the city,”_ Coco sent. _“Is it possible these mines extend that far?”_

_“You thinking this is another Mountain Glenn situation?”_ Fox asked. _“Could be,”_ Olive sent _. “The whole area was mined pretty heavily. That’s why these are the Wastelands-they literally wasted the land, draining an oasis so they could dig under it to the Dust beneath. All that’s left is sand.”_

_“Give me a second,”_ Fox sent. He faced each of the open caves for a short while, north, east, west. Then he turned back to the east. _“These caverns could be twisting around, but I’m sensing those Auras up ahead-east.”_

_“Which is where the voices are coming from,” Coco sent, “Good enough for me. Let’s go. Slowly and cautiously.”_

The voices gradually grew louder, though Scarlet couldn’t make out what they were saying. Soon they saw a light a long ways off, which grew brighter as they tiptoed forward. Scarlet could make the others out better now, and Coco even switched off her glasses. _“I guess we’re on the right track,”_ Olive sent. _“Get it, because we’re on a mine railway?”_ A few members of the team groaned. “Shh … ,” Coco sent. _“If we can hear them, they can hear us.”_

_“Sorry,”_ Olive sent _. “I can hear them clearly now. They’re talking about … charging times? How long it will take to get ready. When someone named Gillian should move.”_

_“I’m going to get a closer look,”_ Scarlet said. Coco nodded and pressed a finger to her lips. Slowly, Scarlet crept farther into the large cavern until he could see and hear what was going on from the shadows. He started recording on his Scroll. “You should take all of it, Gillian,” a woman with pink hair said.

“This is war, after all.” The pink hair reminded Scarlet of a photo he’d seen at the Weeping Wall. A missing girl. Rosa Schwein. Could this be her? “We value our resources in Vacuo,” a soft, buttery female voice said. Scarlet had to strain to hear her.

“We don’t waste them, and we don’t use them up. Besides, what’s the point of ruling if there aren’t any people?” Scarlet edged forward a little more until he could see the woman who was speaking. She was sitting in a large seat carved out of the rock wall, and she was hard to miss because a rainbow of colors swirled and shifted around her. _“What is that?”_ Scarlet sent, _“That woman-Gillian. She’s glowing.”_

_“Aura,” Fox sent. “Why can I see it?” Scarlet asked_. 

_“It’s the strongest, brightest Aura I’ve ever sensed._ ” 

_“She’s wearing a crown,” Scarlet sent, “I’ve seen her picture on the Weeping Wall, too.”_ Rosa stood on Gillian’s right, tapping away at a Scroll. “This is going to take too long,” she said. 

Gillian glared at her. “Don’t use that in front of me.”

“Like it or not, it’s hard to get by without Scrolls these days. We need some tech to coordinate with Jax and his team,” Rosa said.

Gillian stood up from her throne and walked down the stone steps. She stepped to the left and Scarlet craned his neck to see where she had gone. He covered a gasp as he saw what was in the rest of the room.

Rows of beds, filled with sleeping people.

Gillian walked to one of the beds and put her hand on an unconscious man’s shoulder. The Aura around her flared more brightly. Fox appeared at Scarlet’s side. Coco and the others joined them.

_“Whoa,” Fox said. “Her Aura is so strong because it doesn’t belong to her. She’s draining it from other people.”_

_“How can she do that?”_ Coco asked. 

_“If that’s her Semblance, then I don’t know how we can ever stop her,”_ Octavia sent.

_“There have to be at least fifty people in there,”_ Scarlet sent. _“It’s the people who’ve gone missing. The Crown wasn’t just kidnapping people with powerful Semblances … they were kidnapping regular people, too … for their Aura.”_

_“Well, we can stop them now,”_ Reese sent, _“We outnumber them. I don’t think she even has a weapon.”_

_“She is a weapon,”_ Coco sent, _“And based on what we heard about Rosa Schwein, she’s a bit of a threat on her own.”_

Gillian left the man on the bed and moved on to the next sleeping victim. Fox turned his head back and forth. “ _Bertilak’s here. But his Aura’s faint.”_ He nodded his head and Coco leaned forward. She pointed to a man lying in a bed on the far side of the room. 

_“I thought he worked with them,”_ Scarlet sent, _“Looks like he’s more valuable for his Aura than as a fighter,”_ Coco sent. 

_“The Crown must not have been happy about him losing Gus.”_

_“Coco?” Fox sent. “Do we attack them? We may not get a better shot at this, while their guard is down.”_

“You may as well bring in the army,” Gillian said in a bored voice, and all of their heads jerked up in worry.

“When I’m done here, I’ll strengthen them for the fight.” 

_“I don’t like the sound of that,”_ Sage sent. Rosa tapped at her screen some more and a rough-looking crowd of people entered the room. All of them were armed, many of them armored. All of them wearing silver armbands like Gillian’s crown. 

_“So much for attacking now,”_ Fox sent.

These must have been the recruits with the strongest Semblances, bent to the Crown’s service, either willingly or through some form of mind control. _“We should go,”_ Coco sent. They all started backing up. If those guys discovered them, they would never escape these caves. _“What about fighting?”_ Reese sent.

_“Sometimes you don’t. The seven of us can’t take on a small army. And when you can’t fight, you live to fight another day. Let’s get back to Shade.”_

It was a tense journey back. They were all spooked by what they’d seen down there, and all that they didn’t understand. They needed answers from Rumpole. What was the Crown planning? Because they needed a plan. They needed an army of their own.

* * *

You looked around Professor Rumpole’s office. It wasn't like Theodore’s with a bunch of photos with friends and family. It was more like a museum, with all of Remnant’s history, yet there wasn't any history about her in the room.

You were still a bit dazed from the Mind Control. Your head hurt, but you knew Rumpole must have been hurting. She had been under their control for about a month. 

“ Y/N?” Qrow waved a hand in front of your face and you were brought out of your thoughts, “ Sorry, i'm a little out of it, and dizzy.” You took a sip of the tea that Rumpole gave you.

“ I know the feeling.” Rumpole took a sip of her water, “ That mind control does a number on you.” 

“ I can't believe it all happened, though. I actually _wanted_ to help them.” You pinched the bridge of your nose. “ It's not your fault.” 

You knew deep inside that Qrow was right, but you still felt ashamed of yourself for letting it happen to you, and your friends. The friends you swore to protect.

“ Its no ones fault.” It sounded like Rumpole was trying to convince herself too.

“ Yatsuhashi is still there. It's been an hour.” You said, “ I'm sure he's fine. He might be trying to find out some stuff. “ Qrow said.

“ Yatsuhashi knows what he's doing.He’s exactly where he wanted to be.” Velvet sounded like she was convincing herself, more than you, “ We have to trust him.”

“ Do these guys look familiar?” Coco asked and Rumpole pressed a button on her desk, and a hologram of a pale boy had appeared over it, and a girl was at his side with familiar hair. They looked like twins.

“ Yea.” You and Sun said in unison. 

“ That's the guy who brainwashed us.” Sun pointed to the male on the hologram.

“ That’s Jax Asturias.” Neptune said, “ And his sister-”

“ Gillian.” Coco cut him off, “ We saw her at the Wastelands. How do you know who they are?” She asked.

“ We interviewed their dad!” Neptune said. “ We did?” Sun frowned and rubbed his temples. 

“ Yea. Before you ran off to the Mirage.” There was a growl in Neptune’s voice but you barely heard it. “ Now I wish I had stayed with you. I remember now. Mr. Asturias said his kids were students here.” Sun said.

Professor Rumpole nodded, “Gill was top of her class and ambitious, the leader of her team. Jax was arrogant but didn’t have anything to back up that arrogance. He always took his sister’s lead. I think she was the only reason he was here-and it showed. He was expelled and she dropped out a couple of years ago.” Rumpole frowned, “Mind control. I had no idea he had such a powerful Semblance, let alone any Semblance at all. I certainly would have recognized him if I’d seen him.”

“Which is likely why you didn’t see him when he brainwashed you,” Coco said.

“A shame I didn’t see this photo earlier,” Rumpole said. 

“We tried!” Coco exclaimed, “You said you were following your own leads. Why? Is there anything about them that would have made you realize they’re the Crown?”

“Just one thing.” Rumpole got up, a little shakily, and moved to the far wall. She took a painting from the wall and brought it to the group, holding it up.

“As you brought up in class, Ms. Adel, Vacuo-each of Remnant’s kingdoms were once ruled by monarchies. This is an artist’s rendition of the very first king of Vacuo, Malik the Sunderer. All this was hundreds of years ago, so long ago that it’s almost faded into myth. Impossible for anyone to remember what life was like then, or be able to truly trace their lineage back to the early dynasties.” Rumpole turned and returned the painting to the wall. “Jax and Gill were very interested in Vacuan history, just as you were, Coco,” she continued. “I should have put it together then and listened to what you had to say. I’m sorry.”

Coco’s cheeks flushed. “So they’re obsessed with Vacuo’s past,” she muttered. “But why?” 

“They call themselves the Crown,” You said. “Jax even wore one. Like royalty.” Sun added.

“Gill too,” Scarlet pointed out. 

“Like they want to be the new king and queen of Vacuo or something,” Coco said. 

_“Lots of people in Vacuo want things to go back to the old ways,”_ Fox sent, _“The old, old ways.”_

“But no one has the power to make it happen,” Sun said, “It was too long ago; things have changed too much.”

“At the very least, you’d need an army to start with,” Coco said. “Their dad was big on this stuff, too,” Neptune said, “He showed me his collection of Vacuan apocrypha, relics from the old kings, he called them. Rusty old weapons, worn-out drums. I made an excuse and got out of there quick.” 

“I think we should talk to him again,” Coco said. “Neptune and I know him already,” Sun volunteered. “We’ll go.”

“I’ll join you,” Coco said, “I need to ask him about what we saw under the Wastelands.” 

“I’m coming, too,” Velvet and Fox said at the same time. 

“You read my mind,” Velvet said to him.

Fox groaned. “This has to stop.”

“Guess we’ve been a team long enough, we’re more in sync than we thought,”

Coco said. Scarlet cleared his throat. “Mind if I tag along?” Sun smiled. “Since when do you want in on the action?”

“Since you’ve been hoarding it all for yourself,” Scarlet said. _Fair enough,_ Sun thought, “Honestly, I think I’m at the point where I could use a little less excitement,” he said.

“Did everyone hear that?” Sage exclaimed. “Are we sure he still isn’t brainwashed? Because that sure doesn’t sound like the Sun I know.”

“Maybe I’m changing,” Sun said. Then he realized something. “I suppose you want to come, too.” 

  
“Don’t you know it.”

“Yeah!” Neptune jumped up. “The band is back together!” Sun smiled at Velvet, but she looked a little down. Team SSSN might be back together, but part of Team CFVY was still in the den of the enemy. Whether he wanted to be there or not, he knew she was worried about Yatsuhashi. 

“ I’m coming too.” You volunteered. Qrow sighed, “ If you're going, them I'm going.”

Coco looked to Rumpole. “When we get back from talking to Mr. Asturias, we need to see the headmaster.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Rumpole said. “He’s made it clear he needs time to think about all this, to come up with a plan. He’s shaken by what’s been happening. Shade Academy may be in grave danger.” 

“With all due respect,” Coco said.

_“Here we go,”_ Fox sent.

“I’d like to hear it from Headmaster Theodore himself. It’s not that I don’t trust you …”

“But you have every reason not to.” Rumpole sighed, “I assure you, I am quite free of Jax’s control, thanks to Mr. Daichi. But I understand your reluctance. And I agree. Theo needs to hear all this-from you directly. I’m not sure he fully trusts me right now, either. He would be a fool to, after what I’ve done to his school.” Her shoulders slumped. You assumed that was probably the biggest disappointment and the ultimate betrayal for her: that she had let her friend and headmaster down...

Professor Rumpole went to Shade Academy during her last year, instead of Beacon. Oz and Qrow weren't sure why, but it didn't matter, since she became Theodore’s right hand, and apart of Oz’s inner circle.

No one took their responsibility more seriously than Professor Rumpole. And Theodore didn’t suffer failure or signs of weakness lightly. Never mind that Shade-Vacuo itself-was facing an unprecedented threat that no one could have prepared for. They had to prepare now, before it was too late. If it wasn’t already. 

Finn Asturias didn’t answer the door when you knocked-so Qrow kicked the door down. 

Inside, you all found the older man frightened and packing to leave. “Going somewhere?” Coco asked.

“N-none of your business.” Finn shrank away from the group of nine in his one-room house, who blocked his access to the door. “Huntsmen are supposed to protect the people, not threaten them.”

“We aren’t Huntsmen yet,” Coco said, “ Other then these 2.” She pointed at you and Qrow.

“And we are protecting the people-from your children,” Sun added. 

Finn’s face fell. “What are you talking about?” he asked, “My children are missing.” 

“Easy. We’d just like to talk to you,” Velvet said, trying to take things down a notch. 

“I already talked to you.” His eyes darted to the window nervously. “I have nothing more to say.” 

Velvet took a soothing tone. “We won’t let anything happen to you. You can come with us back to Shade Academy-” 

Finn spat. “Never. Theodore rules Vacuo like a king, but who put him in charge?”

_“Sounds like we’re in the right place,”_ Fox sent.

“Mr. Asturias, just let me show you something,” Coco said. “If you don’t want to talk to us after that, we’ll leave.”

_  
“We will?” _ Fox sent. _“I’m lying,”_ Coco sent, _“We’ll leave, but we’ll take him back with us and sort this out at Shade.”_

“I don’t want to see anything from you kids,” Finn said sharply. “You don’t even belong in Vacuo.” Coco ignored him and started playing a video on her Scroll. “I think you’ll want to see this, if you truly miss your daughter.” Finn turned away, hefting his pack. “I want all of you and that tech out of my house.” 

_“Besides, what’s the point of ruling if there aren’t any people?”_ Gill said in the video. A

At the sound of his daughter's voice, he quickly spun around and looked at Coco’s scroll. 

“This is her, right?” Coco asked, “This is Gill?”

You, Sun’s, Qrow’s and Neptune’s jaws dropped as you saw a woman with a glowing aura of different colours. Finn took the Scroll and cradled it in his hands, slowly sinking to sit on the floor.

_“This is going to take too long,”_ Pink said. “Hey! She was there, too?” Sun hadn’t seen this himself yet, so he edged around Finn to watch over his shoulder. 

Gill was walking down a line of sleeping people, touching each of them. You, Sun and Qrow crouched lower, stunned. 

Just her draining Aura had brought back the memory of being attacked, from when your Aura was being taken. Qrow put a hand on your shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze and you smiled, yet it was a weak smile.

The people sleeping...were the lost and missing of Vacuo.

_“You may as well bring in the army,”_ Gill said. _“When I’m done-”_

“What is she doing?” Sun asked.

He could hardly make sense of what he saw. Finn jumped at the sound of Sun’s voice next to him and fumbled the Scroll. Sun caught it with his tail and dangled it in front of him. Startled, Finn took the Scroll back. He replayed that part of the video. _“You may as well bring in the army. When I’m done here, I’ll strengthen them for the fight.”_

Fight?

“She’s absorbing their Auras,” Finn said. He, too, was almost in a state of shock. 

Coco bent down in front of him. “That’s her Semblance, right?” she confirmed,“And your son, Jax, he can control people’s minds?” 

Finn closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Jax is very persuasive, but he doesn’t have a Semblance.” 

“He definitely does,” Sun said, correcting him.

Finn opened his eyes, ignored Sun, and looked at Coco. “Are they hurting anyone?” Coco removed her sunglasses and looked him in the eyes. Luckily she was used to being so direct. “They are,” she told him. “And we think they’re planning to hurt a lot more, maybe not just in Vacuo.” 

Sun put it all together for the guy, “Your son and daughter are the ones who have been kidnapping people in the city. Other people’s children.” Surely he could relate to the other grieving parents, “And they’ve been recruiting people with powerful Semblances like their own, to build themselves an army,” Velvet said.

“They’re calling themselves the Crown,” Sun said. The man rubbed his face with a hand. Was he hiding tears? “If that’s true, then it’s all my fault,” he said. 

They could hardly hear his voice, it was so low and so gruff. “Why the fascination with Vacuan royalty?” Coco pressed him, “Why do they call themselves the Crown?” You may not all get another chance to get the answers they needed.

“Because they’re heirs to the throne of Vacuo,” Finn said.

Fox frowned. “How can you even know that?” he asked, “It’s not as if we still have records going back that far.” 

Finn shifted and pushed his right foot out. He lifted the leg of his trousers and pointed at a small purple mark there. The group leaned forward to take a look at it. It looked like...a bruise?

“It kind of looks like an upside-down crown,” Coco said thoughtfully. “It’s the royal birthmark,” Finn explained. “Every member of our family has had it, going back as far as I can remember. My mother had it, her mother before her. My great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather, great great-great-grandmother …”

“We get it,” Fox said, encouraging him to get to the next point. Finn went on, “It’s been passed down along with stories of its origin. Only Vacuo’s royal line bears the mark, one person from each generation. But in Jax and Gillian’s case, they both have it, because they’re twins-the first twins ever born in our family.”

“But there’s no way to really know,” Sun said, “It’s just a story. Someone could have made it up to explain the mark and passed that down as a family legend.” 

There was no proof whatsoever. You were surprised that any Vacuan would be taken in by such a tale.

Finn was firm, “I read something once, written by Beacon’s last headmaster …”

“Professor Ozpin?” Coco asked. You and Qrow exchanged a look at each other.

Finn nodded. “It stuck with me, because as you may have noticed, I love books. He wrote that our world is built on stories. Some are true and some are lies. Some are real and some are myths. Stories explain who we are and why we’re here. They give us comfort when we need it, and they help us relate to each other. If you don’t believe in stories, if you don’t trust in them, then nothing has meaning in life.” 

If Ozpin said that, there must be something to it. 

Finn paused. “So I believe the old stories about our family. It’s always been a point of pride for us. Something that set us apart, that made us special in Vacuo. It gave some purpose to our lives-to be the best people we can be, to help others, to take care of our home.” He looked around to make sure the teams were listening. “My children believe the stories, too. It’s why Gill wanted to go to an academy to train to be a Huntress. Jax has always been a bit more selfish, had bigger plans than serving the people. He would much rather rule them. But he went with her, anyway.”

“But why?” Coco asked, “Many twins live separate lives, right?”

“You don’t understand. He didn’t have a choice. She’s keeping him alive,” Finn said, avoiding their gaze. A shocked silence fell over the group, and all of your jaws dropped.

Neptune broke the silence “Whaaaaaaat?” he said a little too loudly.

Finn tried to explain. “When my wife, Luna, was pregnant with them, she began getting sick. Her Aura was being depleted, but the doctors couldn’t figure out why. It would regenerate, but over those nine months it came back slower and slower each time, and eventually she couldn’t recover at all. By the time she went into labor, her Aura was down to almost nothing...Then we discovered the same was true for Jax. And doctors found that it wasn’t some inherited condition … Gillian’s Aura was, shall we say, elevated, and the two needed to be separated then before more harm came to Jax. There was an emergency operation to get them out, but it was too late for Luna. She didn’t survive the procedure.” Finn’s voice broke. “She never even saw them. I never said good-bye. Jax recovered, obviously. But his Aura was always at a dangerously low level. He was fragile. He developed slowly. He was hard to draw out, and …” 

Finn took a shaky breath. “I worry that it twisted his mind. He wasn’t anything like Gillian. Part of it was bitterness because he didn’t have a Semblance. She, on the other hand, had a powerful Semblance. It had caused us so much pain, but I couldn’t blame her, an unborn baby, doing what we all do: trying to survive. Over the years, I taught her to control her Semblance, and over time we unlocked her true ability-she doesn’t just sap Aura from others; she can transfer it, too. It turned out her power, which had seemed like such a curse, could be a force for good as well. She had a large reserve of Aura already, and so she shared some of it with her brother. And he began to thrive.”

“She can take Aura from one person and give it to someone else?” Coco asked, “Maybe that’s why we had so much trouble against those goons in the city, and why it seemed like Carmine wasn’t taking any damage in the Wastelands. Gill transferred Aura to their fighters to make them even stronger.” 

Finn looked horrified. “That’s not possible. She would never do that.”

“What about Jax?” Sun asked,“So when he suddenly had some Aura to work with, he figured out his Semblance allows him to manipulate people’s minds?” 

Finn shook his head. “Like I said, Jax doesn’t have a Semblance.” 

“Or maybe he never told you about it,” Scarlet said. 

“That sounds just like him, I’m afraid.” Finn gazed off into the distance. You followed his attention to a picture of the twins on the wall. They looked like happy, normal kids, not psychopaths. “Jax always was charming,” Finn remembered, “Before Gillian began transferring Aura to him, all he had was his sharp mind and a clever tongue. But afterward … It did seem like he could get anyone to do anything he wanted.”

Velvet frowned. “Even convince his sister to drop out of school and help him take over Vacuo?” “By the Brothers,” said Finn, lowering his head, “What have they become?”

“A king and queen, if they get what they want,” Coco said, “Or maybe just what Jax wants.” 

“Yatsuhashi could free Gill from her brother’s influence if he can get close to her,” Sun said.

“Who’s Yatsuhashi?” asked Finn, raising his head. “He’s our friend,” Velvet said. She blew the bangs out of her eyes. “Who’s … currently undercover with the Crown.” 

“He can shake Jax’s control over people,” Coco explained, “And I’m hoping that means he can’t be affected by Jax, either. But about Gill’s Semblance. She needs physical contact to transfer Aura?” Finn nodded at her question, “It will gradually fade, of course, just like your regular Aura.” He swallowed. “These warriors they’re gathering-she can only increase their Aura on contact. And if she’s been taking Aura from people, she would have to keep them close at all times.”

“They’re just batteries to her,” Sun said bitterly. Those were just innocent civilians!

“What’s their deal with Dust?” Velvet asked suddenly.

“At the club, no weapons that use Dust are allowed, and they’re not interested in recruiting people with Semblances that rely on Dust.” Finn scowled, “Dust is the symbol of Vacuo’s downfall. We never had it in our house; we don’t rely on anything that uses it. Including Scrolls.”

He realized he was still holding Coco’s Scroll and passed it back to her, casting one last wistful glance at his daughter. “You were leaving as we arrived,” Scarlet said,“Where were you going? And why?” 

Finn grimaced. “Jax and Gillian’s old teammates from Shade came to visit me this morning. Rosa Schwein and Argento Pocoron. They told me they had heard from Jax and Gill, and they were delivering a message from them: to meet them in Vale.” 

“That’s weird,” Neptune said. “Unless they just wanted to get you out of town for some reason?” “They also asked if anyone had come around asking about the twins. I’m afraid I gave them your name,” Finn said. Neptune looked stricken. “Can you describe their friend Argento?” Coco asked with a concerned look in Neptune’s direction.

“I don’t have to. He and Rosa are in that video, with my daughter.” Finn took the Scroll back from Coco and swiped at the screen. Then he showed it to her. Argento was a pig Faunus in a brown jumpsuit. “Brown!” Sun said. 

“We’ve fought that guy,” Coco said. “If he and Schwein lied to you about Jax and Gill’s whereabouts, it had to be on your children’s orders.” 

“Your children wanted those two to lie to you.”

“Maybe they wanted you to leave for your own protection,” Sun suggested. “From what?” Coco asked. The teams exchanged glances. They said nothing, in teamspeak or otherwise. 

“ Excuse me? Do you have a book on the Great War?” You asked and everyone looked at you confused.

Finn nodded then took a book out of the bookshelf he was sitting by and passed it to you.

You put the book down on a table and started to read from it, fast. “ Why do you need a book on the War?” Qrow asked but you shushed him.

“ Vacuo sided with Vale..” You whispered to yourself, “ And Shade is the form of government.” You widened your eyes and closed the book then gave it back to Finn.

“ We have to go.” You said, before rushing out of the house.

Then, almost as one, they moved for the door. Sun was the one to speak to Finn. After he’d left him the last time, it was the least he could do. He stretched his arms out toward the man. “Thank you, Mr. A. I know this is difficult for you, because you care about your kids. But I think you’d better come back with us. Theo will want to talk to you.” He extended a hand to help him up. Finn sighed. “I suppose you wouldn’t take no for an answer, so I’ll do what I can to assist, though I’m no fan of Theodore’s …” He looked around his house.

“One more thing: They told me to hurry.” 

“ Y/N, what's up?” Sage asked, as you all rushed to Shade. 

“ You know how Vale sided with Vacuo in the war, right? You asked and everyone nodded, “ You also know how Shade is basically the only form of government?” You asked and everyone nodded again.

Neptune caught on, and widened his eyes, “ And Finn said Theodore acts like a king…”

“ What are you trying to say?” Velvet asked.

“ The Crown isn't just going for Vacuo, it's also going for Atlas and Mistral. They're not going to Vale, because Vacuo sided with Vale In the war.” You answered.

Now everyone's eyes widened.

“ We have to get to Shade. Right. Now.” Coco said.

The Crown was planning to attack Shade, and they weren't slowing down. They had an army of their own. And it wouldn't be long ‘till Shade will be another Beacon if you didn't all hurry.


	52. The Attack on Shade

Jax Asturias sat in his throne and stared at the very tall student chained to a metal stake before him. He knew who Yatsuhashi Daichi was, just as he knew about all the students at Shade Academy thanks to Rumpole. 

After Carmine and Bertilak had returned empty-handed, having let a boy with one of the most powerful Semblances in Vacuo, if not all of Remnant, slip through their fingers, Jax had taken particular interest in Team CFVY. They were supposed to be the best of the best.

Jax was going to restore Vacuo to the way it had been, and he was going to do it by elevating everyone who followed him. He would be their king, but he wasn’t going to place himself above them. If they could fight, if they believed in themselves and Vacuo and the old ways, they would be equals. But first they had to eliminate the weakest among them and those who sympathized with the other kingdoms, who had loyalties other than to Vacuo. Even those who placed their friends and family above the greater good.

Yatsuhashi stirred. He lifted his head and blinked blearily, turning back and forth in confusion. Jax saw the moment he realized he was trapped. Then the younger man locked eyes with Jax, pure rage etched in his face.

Even as Jax hated everything about Yatsuhashi, he craved his strength. He was an impressive physical specimen. He was big and strong, and Jax had seen him fight.

He was all the things Jax had wished he could be, the version of himself that could have been if his sister hadn’t robbed him of his future along with most of his Aura. Jax had craved for her Semblance, too, until he discovered he had a powerful one of his own.

Yatsuhashi also had a powerful Semblance, and a dangerous one. It challenged Jax’s, because he could manipulate memory, and it seemed this disrupted Jax’s psychic hold over others. If he couldn’t be turned to Jax’s side, he would have to be destroyed.

“You’re awake,” Jax said.

“You’re the Crown,” Yatsuhashi acknowledged. He strained at the chains binding him, muscles bulging, face red from the effort. 

“How did you free Rumpole from my power of suggestion?” Jax asked. “I don’t know,” Yatsuhashi said.

“But you did it three times or more. Once to free your teammate, Velvet Scarlatina, your unofficial former teammate, Y/N L/N, and your friend Sun Wukong.”

“I don’t know,” Yatsuhashi repeated.

“Either you’re lying, or you really don’t know how your Semblance works. Interesting. Your file says that you are constantly holding back your strength, afraid that you will accidentally hurt others. Perhaps that holds true of your Semblance as well. Perhaps, if you wanted to, you could wipe anyone’s mind clean.”

Yatsuhashi grimaced. So he was all too aware of his potential. He was truly holding himself back. Jax wanted him in his army.

“I could use someone like you,” Jax mused.

“I’m sure you could,” Yatsuhashi said, “Come closer and free me from these chains, and I’ll show you what my Semblance can do.”

Jax laughed. Then Yatsuhashi roared and the chains splintered apart, and Jax stopped laughing. Jax jumped up from his seat, waiting to see what would happen, but Yatsuhashi didn’t move. From the corners of the throne room, Jax’s guards moved in on him, but Jax held up his hand to stop them.

“He won’t hurt me,” he told the guards.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Yatsuhashi said.

Younger, Jax had started to fantasize what it would be like if he was not just normal, but also strong. Stronger than everyone else. And what he would do with that power. He’d decided that Vacuo had been weak for too long. He would help his nation find its strength again and rise to crush the other kingdoms under its heel, burying them in the sand of their own creation.

And then, thanks to Gill, he’d been given that power.

At Shade, he had learned to create an Aura shield, and he had learned to fight. But he also had to fight his instincts to avoid harm, even though he was effectively invincible.

He trotted down the steps toward Yatsuhashi and assumed a fighting stance. The young man smiled, but without any pleasure. Jax let him take the first swing.

Yatsuhashi was a better fighter, no question. He was faster and stronger, and he knew how to take a punch. But his Aura was finite, and it was already low from the cage fight and using his Semblance. Knowing Yatsuhashi’s Semblance, Jax was careful not to let his opponent touch him.

He whistled and his guards moved in. Yatsuhashi turned to fight them, but one of them was his classmate Umber, who once again paralyzed him with a look. She was Jax’s favorite recruit.

“Thank you, Umber.” Jax strode forward and stood in front of Yatsuhashi, careful not to break his eye contact with Umber. “Last chance. Join me. Fight for Vacuo. And if you won’t do that, fight to save your friends’ lives.”

“What do you mean?” Yatsuhashi mumbled through frozen lips.

“If you join me, I’ll spare them. I’ll give them the same choice I’m offering you. They can become a part of my army, or I can force them into service. It would be a shame to break up Team CFVY-again.” Jax smiled and giggled.

“N-no,” Yatsuhashi couldn't believe it.

Jax sighed. He reached out and put a hand on Yatsuhashi’s head. He felt the young man tremble beneath his touch. Even frozen by Umber’s Stone Gaze, he was struggling to regain control.

“You will obey me as your king and commit yourself completely to the service of Vacuo,” Jax commanded.

Jax felt his constant headache worsen; it was always a dull ache in the background, but the pain spiked when he exerted his control over someone. 

When Yatsuhashi stopped struggling under his touch, Jax pulled his hand away and stepped back.

“Let him go, Umber.”

She raised her glasses, cutting off her control over Yatsuhashi and releasing him to Jax.

“Kneel, Yatsuhashi,” Jax demanded.

Yatsuhashi lowered himself to his knees and bowed his head. “Look up at your master. Do you promise to follow my orders, to fight for your crown and kingdom, to give up your own life if necessary?” Yatsuhashi lifted his head. “I do.”

Jax raised his hands. “Then rise. Welcome to the Crown’s army.”

Jax strode back to his throne, suddenly tired. Almost half of his army had joined his cause voluntarily, or for the promised financial reward of ruling Vacuo, but the other half fought his control almost daily.

“Call Gill,” he told Umber.

She pulled out a Scroll and linked up with their headquarters in Vacuo. Carmine’s voice over the receiver filled the hall when she answered.

_ “Yes?” _

“Jax wants to speak to Gill,” Umber explained.

Jax and Gill hated using the Atlesian technology, and despised the Scrolls’ reliance on Dust, but they were necessary evils-for now. Even so, both twins refused to operate Scrolls themselves.

Umber held up the Scroll and Gill’s face appeared on the screen. “Yatsuhashi Daichi is under our control,” Jax exulted.

_ “Good,” _ said Gill. Then she sighed, _ “Do you need me to increase his  _ _ Aura, too?” _

“I don’t think that’s necessary right now. When he recovers, he’ll be strong on his own. Besides, you’ll be busy enough supplying the rest of the army with Aura when you join me on the battlefield.”

_ “When will that be?”  _ Gill asked.

Jax drew in a breath. Celebration and victory were near, “Now is the time to strike,” he announced.

Vacuo had been isolated from the conflict storming throughout Remnant-only this time it was an opportunity. With the global CCT network disabled, Vale in ruin, Haven leaderless, and Atlas closed off, Vacuo was theirs for the taking. And soon Atlas and Mistrall

_ “We aren’t ready,” _ Gill said.

Jax disagreed. “We are as ready as we can be. We’ve lost Rumpole, and Shade is on the alert. Yatsuhashi’s teammates will come for him soon. If we wait much longer, Theodore will be better prepared. He’ll lose, anyway, but it will take much longer and be harder on our forces. The time is now.”

_ “Jax, no,”  _ Gill begged. “ _ Don’t do this. Not yet.” _

“Listen to me,” he told his sister, with extra emphasis. “Trust me.” Finally he got through to her. “ _ Of course,” _ Gill said.  _ “You know what you’re doing. I trust you, with my life.” _

“And I trust you with mine.”

_ I don’t have a choice,  _ he thought.

“I will start the attack, and you will bring the rest of the army by evening,” he said decisively. There was nothing left to say.

Umber cut off the connection and looked at Jax, waiting.

“Ready the forces. We move on the city within the hour. I want you and Yatsuhashi by my side.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Umber glanced warily at Yatsuhashi, and then hurried off to prepare.  _ She is a good soldier _ , Jax thought.

He turned to his newest recruit. “What do you think, Yatsuhashi? Are you ready for a fight?”

Yatsuhashi smiled. “Always, Your Majesty. But I’ll serve you better if I have my sword.”

_ Wonderful! _ Jax thought, imagining the chaos such a weapon would make for his cause.

Jax waved at one of his guards and the man hurried over with the young man’s greatsword. Yatsuhashi took it and looked at Jax.

He extended it without prompting. “I pledge my sword to your service and to Vacuo. For crown and kingdom,” Yatsuhashi said.

Jax leaned back and folded his hands together, “I accept.”  
  


Team CFVY had been a disturbance ever since they had kept him from acquiring Gus Gaspian. With them out of the way now, he would be able to take the boy from Oscuro Combat School. And that was only the beginning!

Yatsuhashi would defeat his own teammates, and then there would be nothing stopping Jax from ousting Theodore and restoring the ancient throne to Vacuo.

* * *

“I sent someone to the Mirage to look for Mr. Daichi,” Theodore announced to the whole group, “They reported that there was no one there. The place looks like it hasn’t been touched in decades.”

“Your emissary might have been lying,” Rumpole pointed out, “In these times, we don’t know whom to trust, aside from the people in this room.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll find him.” Theodore clapped and jumped up from his seat. You all told Theodore about Jax and Gill, and their ambitious plan for Vacuo.

“I knew that Asturias kid was trouble, didn’t I, Rumpole?” Headmaster Theodore said.

“Which one?” Rumpole asked, to clarify.

“Jax! He never fit in here. He held his sister back-she would have been a fantastic Huntress. But he never stepped up.”

“He certainly seems to have stepped up now,” Rumpole said.

Theodore scowled. “He’s still a weak, scared little boy under it all. I’ve dealt with people like him before.” He glanced at the pictures on his wall. Then he shook his head and ran back to his desk. 

“The city’s Huntsmen can handle the Asturias twins for now,” Theodore said confidently, “We have bigger threats to worry about.”

You weren't sure if you heard him right, and apparently, Rumpole didn't either.

“But Theo-” she objected.

“I will not be lured into a trap,” he insisted. “If I invest our full strength in this fight, their attack could weaken us for the big one if and when it comes.”

“Theo, what if this is the big one?” Rumpole asked and exchanged a look with you and Qrow,“Have you considered that Jax and Gill could be part of a broader conspiracy to weaken Vacuo, like the White Fang did at Beacon and Haven? What if they’re just the advanced troops, so to speak?”

“This isn’t Beacon!” Theodore roared. He punched a ruby glove into the wall beside his desk. The impact left a huge crater and shook the wall enough for all the pictures to fall to the floor. Cracks spider webbed across the wall from the force.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. The glass on the photo of him and Oz broke, and you used your semblance to fix it. 

“ Headmaster Theodore,  _ please,  _ these might just be the advanced troops until the  _ big one. _ ” You tried your best not to confuse the others who didn't know about Salem.

Before you could speak again, Coco did. “You’re right,” Coco agreed with Headmaster Theodore, “The attack at Beacon was a surprise. No one was ready to deal with the combined forces of the Grimm, the White Fang, and the compromised Atlesian army.”

She took a deep breath and moved on to her argument. “But we know what’s planned here, and chances are it’s going to happen soon. The Crown is clearly building an army. It isn’t in our best interest to underestimate them.”

Coco exchanged a glance with Rumpole, who took over from there. “I agree,” Rumpole said, “They have control over people with powerful Semblances and can manipulate Aura. You don’t build an army unless you intend to use it. And there’s only one target out here.”

“I think you’re overestimating their strength and competence,” Theodore said, grimacing. “This isn’t the first time people have agitated for Vacuo to go back to the old ways. Even to move against the other kingdoms and take their resources as they took ours. But these are always just revenge fantasies. That isn’t the true way of Vacuo.”

“No one has ever been able to rally enough support for Vacuo to do anything,” Sun added, “Not since the Great War, and look where that left us. We aren’t powerful enough to take anything from anyone.”

You all glared at him.

“What? Someone had to say it,” Sun said.

Fox frowned, “But Vacuo is strong. Certainly strong enough to keep what we have left. Until we prove it, it’s just words.”

Theodore held up his fists, and the Dust-encrusted ruby gloves sparkled.

He considered them for a moment and then lowered his hands.

“Sir,” Velvet began, “You may think Jax and Gill are just kids. But we’re just kids, too. And if they’re willing to fight for Vacuo-Vacuo they believe in- hard as we fought for Beacon, then I think it would be a mistake to dismiss them as a threat. That kind of mistake we can’t walk back from.”

Theodore sighed, and looked at the photo of him and Oz, and it was like the photo had somehow changed his mind, “No, I suppose we shouldn’t take any chances,” he said slowly. He strode back to his desk and sat down, “Besides, this might prove a good warm-up before the big fight begins. It’s time to get serious. It’s time to get ready.”

He pressed a button and a microphone rose out of the desk. He leaned into it and spoke: “Attention, Shade Academy students. Effective immediately, your original teams have been restored. Gather in the courtyard, and don’t forget your weapons. Thank you.”

He stood up. “If the Crown attacks, they will come here first.” He glanced at Velvet, 

“But I said it before, and I still mean it: We can handle anything that comes at us.” He nodded to Sun. “By working together.”

Then you all heard shouts outside, getting louder by the second. Soon they were joined by bursts of gunfire and explosions. The group exchanged glances, and then the floor rumbled beneath their feet.

Theodore waved a hand over his window and the view changed, showing the wall between the academy and the city of Vacuo. The Crown’s army was amassed outside it, their silver armbands shining in the brutal sun.

“ They’re here.” Qrow stood at Theodore’s side, “ You ready to fight?” It's been a long time since Qrow and Theodore had fought side by side.

Theodore smiled at him, “Looks like it’s time to put our words into action,” he said. 

“For Vacuo.”

You all left the headmasters office and ran to the courtyard. The rest of the students, already gathered there, were looking expectantly at the school’s south wall.

The rumble from the other side of the wall was deafening outside. The gates were closed because Theodore had ordered Shade on lockdown, but the Crown’s soldiers were hammering away, with gunfire and cannons from the sound of it. 

At least the Crown isn’t using Dust.

Dust would have made short work of the walls. And that’s where Shade would have an advantage.

“What are you all doing standing around?” Theodore shouted to the shell-shocked students, “Time to defend your school!”

“But who are they?” a student yelled.

“Does it matter?” Theodore cried, “Charge!”

You glanced down and saw that the members of the Beacon Brigade- a group of those who had survived the Fall of Beacon- were already on their way to meet the threat. Running toward danger, like Huntsmen were trained to do. 

You stared out at the crowd of Shade students, all of whom reflected the same fear you'd seen carved on everyone's faces the night Beacon fell.

“You heard the headmaster. This is what we’ve been training for.” Coco pointed to the wall, “This is a battle, and we aren’t going to win it by watching. So decide now: Do you have what it takes to be a Huntsman, or are you going to give up your home without a fight?” 

You really admired her strength, attitude, and leadership. 

The students who had been enthralled by the unexpected sight of an attack on their school-or reliving the terrors of the Battle of Beacon- shook free of their stupor. And they didn’t bother taking the stairs. What was jumping off of a building when just a week ago they had been dropped from an Airbus from the initiation?

Maybe there is some method to the reinitiation madness after all.

“Let’s go,” Coco called to Velvet and Fox. “But stick close to me.”

“What she said!” Sun said, “Come on, Team SSSN!”

You all jumped over the side of the terrace and ran down the steep, sloping sides of the school.

You all had cleared the building’s three levels and were racing toward the south wall in no time. It didn’t sound like the Crown was attacking from any other direction. Though if they had agents on the inside, they wouldn’t have to.

Coco tapped Fox on the shoulder, and he opened up teamspeak to the students they trusted most- The Beacon Brigade, and you and Qrow.

_ “Hey, Beacon Brigade,”  _ Fox sent _ , “This is Fox. Yeah, if you didn’t know already, I can talk to you telepathically and can facilitate you all talking together. Deal with it. Use this channel to coordinate during the battle.” _

_ “Be on your guard,”  _ Coco sent. _ “The people attacking us call themselves the Crown. They’ve been kidnapping and recruiting people from the city, even from this school, so you’ll be up against opponents with strong Semblances. Maybe even friends. They may not be in control of themselves.” _

_ “What’s that supposed to mean?”  _ Reese asked.

_ “The Crown can control people’s minds,”  _ Velvet elaborated.  _ “Brainwash them.” _

_ “Oh, and their Aura is supercharged,”  _ Coco added,  _ “They’re stronger, but we can still beat them.” _

_ “Got any ideas on how, exactly?”  _ Nolan asked.

_ “We’ll figure it out. But for now, look for a small, thin guy with black hair and a crown,”  _ Coco sent _ , “and a gorgeous glowing woman, who’s also wearing a crown. They’re the leaders.” _

_ “Crowns. Got it,”  _ Reese sent,  _ “That should make it easy.” _

Coco sighed. _ “Nothing about this will be easy.” _

By the time you all reached the south wall...it was  _ gone.  _ Through the cloud of dust, the Crown’s army was on the other side, forming a wall of bodies.

And on the other side of that wall, Jax Asturias was sitting on a throne palanquin being carried by Umber and someone else.

“ Crap.” Qrow looked at you confused until he realized why you said that. Yatsuhashi was also carrying the palanquin.

_ “ Yatsuhashi isn't responding. I can't tell if he's under the Crown’s control or not.”  _ Fox sent.

_ “ He wouldn't turn on us, so he must be under their control.”  _ You sent.

I’m going over there.” Velvet reached for her camera box.

Coco held out her hand to stop her. “No, I’ll get him. I need you to do something else, Velvet. I don’t see Gill here. Do you sense her anywhere, Fox, and Y/N?”

_ “No,”  _ he sent. _ “Nor Carmine. She must be guarding Gill.” _

_ “ I can't sense them either. And I haven't been near Carmine so I can't sense her Aura.”  _ You sent.

“ Good.” Coco put a hand on Velvet’s shoulder, “Go to the Wastelands and stop Gill. The only way we win this is if we cut her off from the soldiers so she can’t get here and give them more Aura.”

“If this is about taking me off the battlefield-” Velvet began.

Coco shook her head, “It isn’t. We could use you here, but I need you there more. You’re the best person for this job. Maybe the only person who can succeed, because with your Semblance and Anesidora, you’re a one- person army. We can’t afford to send too many others with you.”

Everything that Coco had said was true: Velvet was a pretty damn good secret weapon for moments like this.

“The Crown’s soldiers also don’t use Dust, and you have the most powerful Dust-based weapon in Vacuo,” she added.

Velvet was warming up to the idea. She nodded and said, “I’m on it.” Coco had another idea, “Take Octavia with you. She knows the way.”

“Hey! Good plan. I’m coming, too.” Sun popped out of nowhere.

“This isn’t the time to bail on your team again, Sun. Or us. We need you here.” Coco said.

Sun pled his case, “I’m not bailing on anyone. A good leader knows to go where they’re needed most, and I’m still leader of SSSN, like it or not. Velvet and I are both one-person armies; Gill and Carmine won’t stand a chance against us. And besides, Gill kidnapped a bunch of people I care about. If I can help free them, I want to do it.”

Scarlet gave Sun an appraising look. “He’ll come back,” he said to Coco, whipping his bangs out of his eyes. “And he’s right ... this time.” He turned to Sun, “But when you do get back, we’re finally having a serious conversation.”

Sun nodded.

“ I'm coming too. if Carmine is there, then you'll all need an actual Huntress with you. Plus, we get brainwashed together, then we get in trouble together.” You put your arms around Velvet and Sun’s shoulders.

Qrow didn't want you alone in Vacuo, especially because you had only regenerated 57% of your Aura, and this was the first time you were fighting an actual person instead of just training...and you got brainwashed, but he had to trust you. 

“ You sure?” He asked and you nodded, “ I'll be back.” You responded.

He couldn't lose anyone else, he already lost Clover.

You looked at the Crown’s armies, a bit of their Aura had glowed.

_ “ Fox?”  _ You called.

_ “ Yea?”  _ He responded.

_ “ The Crown has a lot, and I mean  _ lots  _ of Aura, right?” You asked. _

_ “..Yes?” _

_ “ I have an idea.” _

_ “ What is it?”  _

_ “ We bring Grimm.” _

_ “ Excuse me?” _

_ “ Grimm are attracted to Aura, so they'll only be interested in the Crown’s army. It's weird, but the Grimm would basically be helping us.” _

_ “ Oh damn, that's good. But we can't just bring Grimm out of nowhere. Sure, the panic would, but not as fast enough for right now.” _

You looked at Qrow.

_ “ Leave that to me.” _

“ Qrow.” You looked him in the eyes.

“ I need you to use your semblance.”

He sputtered, “ Excuse me? I'll probably get someone hurt-”

“  _ Qrow.  _ I know you're still upset about Clover.” His face fell at the C-bomb.

“ But it wasn't your Semblance’s fault. It was no one's fault. Grimm are just stupid, and Clover got attacked out of the blue, that was it. It wasn't your fault. But your Semblance can save everyone right  _ now _ . I know you think you cause problems for all of us, but your Semblance has done nothing but  _ save  _ us. You think you're a bad luck charm? Then how would you have been able to catch Ruby back in Argus? You protected Blake and Marrow from that Faunus-Racial down in Mantle. You protected Weiss from her father when she ran into him at the Gala. You brought Ruby and Yang home to Patch. You protected Oscar from Hazel. You protected Nora, Ren, Jaune and Ruby from Tyrian. You were there for Jaune when you found him in the Academies Garden, looking at his scroll and a video of Pyrrha was playing. You protected Clover..from  _ everything _ . You gave him love, you gave him your kindness, and sometimes your sarcasm.” You didn't know why but you already had tears forming in your eyes, and there were tears in his.

“ You broke up with him because you were  _ scared.  _ You were scared that he would blame it on you, but you know deep inside, that Clover, would never do that.” And he also knew that deep inside, you were right.

He closed his eyes and started channelling his Aura so he could use his semblance.

It wasn't until a few moments later when you heard a Ravagers shriek, you looked up to the sky, and Ravagers were coming. 

He opened his eyes, “ You wanted me to bring  _ Grimm? _ ” He asked in disbelief.

“ Yep! Now I gotta run.” 

_ “ Y/N, Fox just told us about your idea, how did you get Grimm to come so fast?”  _ Coco asked.

_ “ Qrow’s Semblance is Misfortune.”  _

_ “ That makes sense.” _

“So go!” Scarlet said, “We got this.”

Behind him, Sage and Neptune waved in support. “Thank you,” Sun said to his team. Even in the middle of the attack, he sounded grateful.

Then he glanced at Velvet and you, you both smiled. “Let’s go bring your friends home.” Velvet said.

Octavia arrived at Velvet’s side. “I’m ready,” she said, “ Same here.” You were at Sun’s side.

From a little ways off, Rumpole called, “Let’s cover Velvet, Sun, Y/N, and Octavia’s escape by engaging the enemy forces! Do not allow those soldiers to step onto campus, understood?”

The students around Coco roared in approval.

“ Be careful!” You heard Qrow yell as you four ran off, into the desert.

Theodore was already running and punching the Crown’s soldiers, each punch making the sound of a  _ boom  _ and sending the soldiers back, hitting other soldiers and falling like bowling pins.

Then Qrow realized that he forgot to tell you about Carmine. About what Rumpole told him about her.

Rumpole saw the fear on his face, “ They'll be fine. They're strong.”

Qrow let out a shaky sigh, “ I know they are, but I forgot to tell her about Carmine.”

“Carmine wouldn't reveal it immediately.” Rumpole had a point.

Qrow let out a shaky sigh again, “ You ready?” His grip tightened on Harbinger. She chuckled and nodded, “ I hope you won't go down easily like before.” Qrow rolled his eyes at the memory of her tying him, Yatsu, Fox and Neptune up with her golden cord.

“ Against these dumbasses? They'll be the ones doing down easily.” He said, and then they both ran off into the battle.

Coco turned to tell you four that now was your chance to run, but when she did, you were already gone. She saw you all in the sand cloud but then the four of you disappeared.

“Right.” Coco ran forward alongside Fox. As she fired at the enemy, some of them blocked her shots with their weapons, some dove out of the way, but others just grinned as their enhanced Auras protected them. This was going to be fun.

Soon Coco was forced to fight with just her purse and in close combat. This wasn’t like fighting Grimm. These were other people-many of them trained Huntsmen-who could fight more strategically than most creatures Coco had been up against. And she had to be careful to not injure the people on her side.

To her surprise, the Shade defenses were holding up well at least. And Coco had some experience working with the members of Team ROSC, so she was pretty sure she could count on them.

“Reese! I need a lift,” Coco shouted.

On the edge of the battle, Reese was using the two halves of her board in hand-to-hand combat with one of the Crown’s soldiers. But Reese slapped her board back together and zoomed toward Coco, zipping around the other soldiers and hitting every bad dude she could in the back of the head.

“What’s up?” Reese asked.

“Me.” Coco hopped up and grabbed on to Reese’s board, “Get me to Yatsuhashi.”

Reese stabilized her board and raised them higher above the battlefield. Arrows and bullets came at them, but she dodged as they flew.

“Uh-oh,” Reese said. “We’ve got more company.” She finally noticed the Ravagers.

“ It's fine. They'll go for the Crown’s soldiers.” Coco assured.

Coco hoped you and the others wouldn’t have to deal with them in the Wastelands.

“This is your stop,” Reese said.

Coco saw Jax’s palanquin directly under her, carried by Umber and Yatsuhashi.

“Thanks!” she told Reese, dropping and firing at the target on her way down. She used her semblance to enhance her fire Dust, tearing the makeshift throne to shreds along with anyone inside it. She landed in the wreckage, but there was no one inside. 

Where was Jax?

Coco turned and stepped back. That’s when she saw that Yatsuhashi was standing there, watching her.

“Hey, Yatsuhashi,” Coco breathed out, “You in there?”

As he drew Fulcrum, she saw the silver armband around his right bicep, just like the ones on all Jax’s soldiers.

Coco sighed. “I really don’t want to do this.”

Yatsuhashi ran toward her, bringing his sword back.

Coco planted herself in the sand and aimed her gun.

“Last chance!” she called, “Please tell me you’re bluffing.” 

Yatsuhashi roared and swung his sword at Coco’s head.

* * *

You all got to the hideout in the Wastelands.

Your jaw dropped when you saw all the beds and unconscious people in it, but Gill was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Gill?” Velvet whispered, “And Carmine?” 

“Or any of the bad guys?” Sun added.

“ I don't sense any of their Auras here.” You whispered.

Octavia shrugged, “Maybe they left already?”

“We would have seen them,” Velvet said.

“Let’s just ask someone!” Sun stalked out into the room impatiently.

“Sun!” Velvet called. She sighed and you facepalmed. He could cause real problems if they weren’t careful.

“He just does whatever comes to mind, doesn’t he?” Octavia asked.

Velvet sighed. “I’m not sure there’s much thinking involved at all,” she said and you all hurried after Sun.

You found him standing next to a bed, unplugging an unconscious man from the Aura monitor and undoing the straps holding him in place. The man’s eyes fluttered and he woke with a start.

“Easy,” Sun said, holding up his hands. “We’re here to help.”

Sun helped the man sit up. As Octavia wandered into the room behind her, Sun began interrogating the man ... in his own way.

“So, yeah,” Sun said, “Have you seen a glowing woman, maybe with a scary red head?” 

You rolled your eyes and stood beside him.

“They both left together with three Huntsmen,” the man spat. “About ten minutes ago.”

  
  


That didn’t make any sense, though. “We would have seen them ... ,” Velvet said.

  
  


Octavia turned to look back the way they had come. “Maybe they took one of the other tunnels?” she wondered aloud.

Velvet bolted for the passageway, you and Octavia right behind her, then she remembered Sun. He was still by the man’s side, lost in conversation.

“Sun, you can free everyone and get them to safety,” Velvet told him. It was hard to believe he was ever a leader of Team SSSN, as he couldn’t even be trusted to follow orders, but you hoped he would do the right thing this time. Velvet turned and ran 

back to the junction of tunnels, joining Octavia and you.. “Which one?” Velvet asked. 

She didn’t want to split up.

Octavia threw up her hands. “We’ll have to make our best guess,” she said. “If only Fox were here.”

You chuckled, “ I'm here, though. I can sense Auras.”

“ Which one?” Velvet and Octavia asked.

“ The south one.” You nodded towards the south passage, and you all went down it.

You all moved through the tunnel, stepping carefully around scattered skeletons in old mining outfits.

“They must have been trapped here years ago in a cave-in,” Octavia whispered.

_ That meant there was a pretty good chance they were Faunus, _ You thought sadly and you had a feeling that Velvet thought that too.

The last time Velvet had tangled with Carmine, it took all of Team CFVY, Edward Caspian, and somewhat Bertilak, whom they tricked into fighting. But she was glad that you were here, you were stronger than her, and Octavia combined.

You all heard new voices up ahead.

“Hurry! Jax is waiting for us.” 

You were willing to bet that was Gill.

  
  


There was another voice, “You’ve already juiced up the soldiers with Aura,” A woman said, “You’re too important. That’s the last place you should be now.”

Gill stood her ground. “Our subjects need to see their monarchs fighting for Vacuo, fighting for-” Then she stopped suddenly. “Someone’s coming,” she hissed.

Still, You three had managed to catch them by surprise. A red head was standing in front of another cave-in, stones and dust piled around her. Gill stood to the side, a bow and quiver of arrows slung onto her back. She was surrounded by three tall Huntsmen in armor with silver armbands.

You and Velvet ran for the young woman who you assumed was Carmine Esclados.

She had long back length wavy auburn hair with a single silver streak. She had golden eyes, freckles and a black stylish tattoo on the right side of her torso running down to her upper leg. She has a dark navy cropped long-sleeved shirt with a metal chain-like top attached, and a silver shoulder cape with crimson trimmed and what you assumed was her emblem on it. Form off booty shorts that match her tattered scarf and thigh-high black leather boots with folded over tops and small lace-up detailing.

Gods, you  _ loved  _ the outfit.

She had a Sai that was charged with electricity dust, you knew that her other Sai was turned into gold. 

Velvet activated a hard-light replica of Yatsuhashi’s sword and charged toward Carmine. The redhead swept a hand around and several small boulders flew out of the blockade toward Velvet.

You put your hand out and the small boulders stopped in mid-air, turning into glass. Once they were glass, you broke them and sent the shattered pieces at her. Though, she dodged them so fast that you didn't even see her move.

“Hey, Velvet,” Carmine said mockingly, “Long time no see. It was nice catching up with Coco and Yatsuhashi, but you were always my favorite.” She pressed a finger to her lips, “Don’t tell the others.”

She looked at you and her eyes moved up and down your body, she smirked, “ Love the outfit, kid. Where'd you get the shirt from?”

“ Atlas.” You responded.

She hummed, “ And I'm assuming you got the jacket from the White Fang.” 

You realized you still had the jacket on and used your Semblance to make it disappear, it was getting hot down there either way.

She chuckled, “ Nice semblance.”

“ Thank you!” You breathed out then lunged at her with Hush but she dodged it and sent a few small boulders flying at you.

You opened up Hush and you felt the vibration of the boulders hitting the dust-protected fabric.

“ You made that weapon, or is it something from your family?” Carmime asked.

“ Technically, both, if you count friends as family.” 

You saw Octavia fighting against the three soldiers. You turned back to Carmine and saw that she lunged at you with her foot. There was a blade on the bottom of her shoe so you grabbed her ankle before it could slice through your chest.

She asked and you smirked, then threw her down to the ground. Her skin was pierced by sharp rocks and pieces of glass, but she shook it off, and stood back up.

“ You’re good.” She breathed out then breathed out a laugh, “ What's your name?”

“ Y/N L/N.”

“Why do you care about restoring the throne to Vacuo?” Velvet summoned Fox’s weapon and fired at Carmine.

The tunnel rumbled and tiny stones fell on everyone from above.

“Idiot! You’re going to bring the whole mine down on us.” Carmine lunged with her sai and Velvet brought her left arm up to block it. She turned her elbow up, level with her face, and jabbed the arm blade out toward Carmine while slashing at her exposed stomach with the other.

Carmine jumped backward and dropped her sai. But it remained floating in the air where she’d been holding it a moment before, and then it spun toward Velvet.

Velvet brought her hands together and caught it in midair, inches from her face. 

Carmine’s Semblance tugged at it, but Velvet held on tight.

“You need to take better care of these.” Velvet turned the weapon around as Fox’s tonfas wore out. She attacked Carmine with her own weapon, using her own moves against her.

“You’re a quick study,” Carmine said. A ring of rocks circled her head as she parried the short blade with stone projectiles. “You’re doing better than your friend over there.”

Octavia wasn't doing good against the there trained huntsmen- who were supercharged by Gill’s aura.

“We don’t have time for this,” Gill said. “Clear the rubble, Carmine.” 

Carmine made an exasperated sound. Then she smiled. “Bye, Velvet.” Then winked at you, “ Bye, Y/N.”

A pile of stones blocking the cave flew at you and Velvet. You opened Hush up so it could cover you both but then a wall slammed into you both, knocking you backwards and half burying you both.

A beam of moonlight cut through the darkness. Carmine was breaking through.

Then something glittered in front of you. You pulled yourself from the rocks covering you and scooped it up. It was a red crystal.

It was Dust.

It meant the Dust here had never been removed. This might be the last small repository of Dust in Vacuo.

You have the crystal to Velvet when you saw that her eyes lit up, you knew she had a plan.

“Octavia!” Velvet called, “Fire!” She held up the Dust crystal.

Octavia turned and saw what Velvet was holding. Even without Fox’s teamspeak, you and Octavia knew instantly what Velvet was thinking. Now you had a way to stop Gill from reaching the battlefield, cutting off her ability to send Aura to the troops there.

It took Carmine a little longer to catch on.

“No!” she said as Octavia waved her kris and sent a torrent of fire from the blade toward her-then passed her. And into a glittering fire Dust deposit in the wall. The blast ignited the whole vein.

This was gonna hurt.

It was like memories had flashed before you. 

General Ironwood…

James…

Your friend. Someone you've known since your first year at Beacon. Someone you yelled at in a Vault yet quickly became friends in a garden of all places. Someone you thought that could have attacked you…

No.

He didn't attack you. He wasn't your assailant. He was your friend, and you knew deep inside that he was trying to do  _ everything  _ he could to find your assailant. He was freaking out. He was stressing over the fact that you've been missing for 3 weeks now. And you knew he was relieved to find out that you and Qrow were in Vacuo.

But Vacuo of all places? You knew that thought had probably crossed into James’ head. You imagined his reaction over the note Maria had given him.

He'd be sitting in his office chair. His eyebrow would be raised up so high that it would reach the metal strip above it. He’d feel fresh tears form in his eyes, and he'd feel relief wash over him to know you were safe, and not dead. 

But you weren't safe, you were  _ way far  _ from safe. You were fighting for Vacuo, alongside your old team, and Qrow was fighting too, alongside his old friends. 

Marrow…

Would you get the chance to feel his soft lips against yours again? To taste the bittersweetness of coffee on them? Would you be able to hear his laughter again? That sweet, blooming sound of laughter. It warmed your heart just to hear his voice, each, and every day. It pained you to stay away from him for this long.

Marrow, someone you've tried to find for so long, was in Atlas. He was someone you loved, and you knew it for a while, but you just couldn't admit to it. Because you were scared. Scared he would leave you again. But you knew deep inside he wouldn't leave you.

Because he loved you.

But he might never get to hear the words, “ I love you.” come from your lips. And you might never hear it come from him, either.

The tunnel was very bright and very hot for a moment, before everything went dark.


	53. The Summer Maiden

An explosion shook the chamber where Sun waited, followed by a series of smaller explosions like gunshots. The mine rumbled around Sun and the Vacuans he had freed. Then stones fell from the ceiling and clouds of dust filled the air

“ What was that?” Someone asked.

That...would be Velvet, Octavia and Y/N,” Sun replied.

He didn’t want to think of any of the horrible outcomes that happened to you three.

Sun wondered if he should go after you three, but he had to get the drained and missing of Vacuo out of here Well if there even  _ was  _ a way out

“Should we check on them?” someone said from a bed.

“Eh, they’re done for,” a gruff voice replied. 

Sun and the others turned and saw Bertilak Celadon sitting upright and throwing off the blanket that covered him. he swung his legs around and hopped to his feet. “If they were up against Carmine, they were likely on the wrong end of that blast. A shame, though. I always liked that bunny girl.” Sun grabbed his gunchucks. 

He set his jaw and stalked toward Bertilak. “How long have you been awake?” He couldn’t be too careful with this guy. “Long enough,” Bertilak replied, “Rebuilding my strength. Gill took a lot out of me. My fault for letting her touch me. And for trusting Carmine.”

He laughed as if there was nothing at stake at all right now, “Pro tip: The prettier the face, the uglier the person.”

“Then you must be a beautiful person deep inside,” Sun said, “Way deep.” 

“I’ve been lying here wondering when you were going to free me and invite me to your little party. I’m just an innocent victim here.”

“You’re far from innocent,” Sun said, frowning, “In fact, you’re probably the only person in this room who deserved to be drained like that.”

“Believe me, no one deserves that,” Bertilak said, “I don’t like feeling powerless, and neither would you.” He met Sun’s eyes, and Sun wasn’t sure how to read his gaze until he continued speaking, “Put those toys away, boy. I don’t mean to fight you. And you’d better hurry if you want to save your friends.”

Sun held on to his weapons, anyway. He didn’t believe those words, especially not when they were coming from a kidnapper. Still, he had to ask, “You’re … helping us?” “I didn’t say that. But let’s just say I’d like to see Carmine again. Repay what I owe her.” Sun didn’t think Bertilak was talking about settling a loan of money. 

When they were strong enough to move, Sun led the group of fifty Vacuans, plus Bertilak, back through to the place where the tunnel branched off in four directions. The mine rumbled around them, in constant danger of caving in. “That way,” Bertilak declared, pointing in one direction with confidence. Sun tried to remember that he wasn’t an enemy-or not one worth dealing with right now, at least.

Bertilak’s tunnel took them to a dead end, though. The tunnel had completely collapsed here, and Sun hoped it hadn’t been a mistake to let Bertilak take the lead. 

“Velvet?” Sun called. The ceiling trembled. What if his friends were under this mess?

“Shhh,” Bertilak said. “Don’t give away our location. I’m not interested in joining this grave.” The other Vacuans lagged behind, but at least they were moving, and their slower pace allowed them to notice details that Sun had missed. One of them picked something up and asked, “Does this look familiar?” It was a dagger with a wavy blade.

“Octavia?” Sun called, looking all around the passageway.

“ What about this?” Another asking and he was holding a familiar Parasol- Hush.

He felt his heart beat faster and faster, “ Y/N?!” 

He heard a groan close to the cave-in. A boot stuck out of the rocks, still attached to a foot, and a leg … but it belonged to a man, not to Octavia, you, or Velvet. Sun started digging, anyway. This was going to take forever. 

Then other hands began lifting the rocks off the mound with him. The people he had just rescued, some of them were barely even able to stand on their feet, yet they were helping him dig out someone they didn’t even know. Sun smiled, and they kept working. This felt like a different kind of teamwork. 

After thirty minutes of hard labor, the group uncovered a body- an unconscious, sturdy-looking man who was part of the Crown’s group, judging by the scorched armband on his arm. Then they found a second body, under him, sheltered from most of the rocks.

This person was also alive, and soon Sun recognized Octavia Ember. She opened her eyes and tried to move. “Ow,” she said. Then she bolted up, grimaced, and said, “Velvet? Y/N?”

“ They weren’t with you?” Sun asked, helping her to her feet and trying not to panic. 

“Velvet was standing right there.” Octavia pointed in Bertilak’s direction, “ And Y/N was right beside her.”

Bertilak Crouched over a hand sticking out of the rock pile, holding a sai. There was also a black thick ankle boot. Sun knew only one other person who loved fashion like Coco. You. 

Bertilak grabbed the sai triumphantly. “Aha! There you are, Red.” He tucked the sai into his belt and drew his mace, bringing it over his head. “This is what you get for stabbing me in the back.” 

“Stop!” Sun closed his eyes and one of his clones flashed into existence beside Bertilak, grabbing the mace before he could bring it down on the buried body in front of him. “Cute trick.” Bertilak shook the mace free and faced off against Sun’s clone. “But don’t cross me, kid.” 

“That isn’t Carmine,” Octavia told him. “She was standing over there during the explosion-she was closest to the avalanche.” The spot was several steps away from the body.

Sun raced across the room and started digging faster to get to Velvet and you. Everyone else pitched in to uncover her, quickly but gently. “Help us!” he shouted at Bertilak. Bertilak grinned. “You missed a spot.” He put his mace on his belt and eased himself back on a large boulder.

When they finally freed you and Velvet, Sun didn’t like how fragile and still you both were. With all the care he could manage, he reached down and lifted her out, then you.

“You’re not supposed to move them. Something could be broken,” Octavia said. “They’re fine,” Sun said. “They’re going to be fine.” He just kept telling himself that.

He removed Velvet’s camera from its holster on her back and laid then laid her down gently on a flat surface. Octavia soon helping you lay down gently.

“Come on, guys,” he said. “If you’re hurt, your team is gonna kill me.” 

“Always worried about yourself,” a tiny voice said. Velvet smiled.

“Oh, thank the gods,” someone from the crowd said. Sun sprawled next to her. “Velvet? You okay?” She opened her eyes wider and spoke more clearly. “Anyone get the number of that Atlesian Paladin?”

“That was at Beacon,” Sun said, crestfallen. Velvet’s brain must have been all scrambled from the explosion … “I know. I’m just messing with you,” she said, struggling to sit up. “Now when someone says ‘it hit me like a ton of bricks,’ I know exactly what that feels like.” She looked around at the gathered people, the ones Sun had freed. “Oh good, you’re all safe.” 

“ Guys.” Velvet and Sun turned to Octavia, to find that you were still unconscious.

“ Y/N.” Velvet breathed out and crawled over to you, “ Come on.” She whispered.

“ Qrow will kill me if you die.”

“ Kill is a strong word.”

Everyone made a loud sigh of relief when you spoke. Octavia helped you sit up and you started coughing, “ That  _ hurt _ .” 

Velvet chuckled, “ Next time, I’ll try not to think of a crazy way to stop Gill.”

“ I hope there never is a next time with Gill.”

You had a point. 

“Did it work?” Velvet asked.

Octavia shook her head, “ Just before everything came down on our heads, Gill flew backward and out of the cave.”

“What did you see in the twins?” Sun asked Bertilak.

Bertilak was unashamed, “I bought into the promise of being rich and helping to rule a kingdom. I don’t care if they’re really heirs to the throne or whatever nonsense. If you have the power to take something, then that’s all the birthright you need. Jax and Gill have a lot of power.” He scowled. “Some of it even came from me.” 

Sun pressed him for more, “Does it bother you they thought you were more useful as a battery than in the battle?” he asked. Bertilak shrugged, “It’s a paycheck.”

“I hope I never need money that bad,” Sun said, stepping away from him. Bertilak turned and stalked off. “See ya around.” Sun looked at Velvet, Octavia, you, and the others. “I think that’s the only way out, so now we’re going to have to follow him, and it’s going to be all awkward.” 

You all got out of the underground base

Velvet seemed a little down.

“I’m not beating myself up for losing Gill,” Velvet said, “I’m thinking.” 

“Thinking about what?”Sun asked

Velvet smiled, “A plan.” When they emerged, they found Bertilak standing still, taking deep appreciative breaths. “Fresh air,” he muttered. Velvet ignored him and headed directly for a box on the ground that seemed to be wired into the mining rig. “I thought so!” she said. “It’s a transmitter.”

“For what?” You and Sun asked. Octavia gasped. “Oh, that’s right! We detected an encrypted CCT signal and figured the Crown had turned it into a pirate signal station.”

“Perfect,” Velvet said, hands on her hips. “Just what we need.”

“To call for help?” Octavia asked. 

“Exactly. But I can’t unlock the station without a password.” Sun looked closer at the box, “Can’t you hack it?”

“I’m really better at building and wiring things,” Velvet said, “I know how to configure the settings on the relay station because I recently had a chance to read through a service manual.” 

“And you remember everything?” Sun asked. Velvet’s right ear twitched. You deadpanned at him.

Sun made a loud gasp when he realized, “Oh yeah. Photographic memory.”

Bertilak strolled over. “Not that I was eavesdropping, or have any desire to help you, but … Malik.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sun asked. “That’s the password. I told you, I heard everything while I was down there. It’s the name of the-”

“Malik the Sunderer, first king of Vacuo,” You said. 

Velvet tapped away at a little keyboard, pausing to read the screen, her brow furrowed. Bertilak suddenly bellowed. “All right, Red! Where are you?”

“Where are you going?” Octavia called. “We got Carmine for sure, and the city’s the other way.” “There’s no way she went down that easily, and she’s not going to the city. When things get rough, Carmine cuts her losses and runs. I’m gonna find her. See how she likes being hunted by the best Huntsman in Vacuo.” 

“Headmaster Theodore?” You and Sun asked.

“No! Bertilak Celadon.” He climbed out of the sandpit surrounding the tower and disappeared over the ridge.

“Almost done.” Velvet’s ears drooped and she wiped sweat from her face with an arm. “Who are you going to call, anyway?” Sun asked. “Everyone.” Velvet looked up.

“You gave me an idea. All those people you rescued.” She nodded to the people huddled in the entrance to the cave.

“That we rescued,” Sun corrected her, “No, you’re the one who fought to find them all along. No one else cared. And then they all helped you rescue me. I might be-” She swallowed, “Still buried in there if not for all of them. We need that kind of help if we’re going to defeat Jax and Gill. We aren’t going to win this with strength, but with numbers. And how accepting of a new monarchy will people be if the Crown attacks ordinary people?”

If Sun and the missing of Vacuo hadn’t gotten you out, then you, Octavia and Velvet would probably be dead.

You put a hand on Sun’s shoulder, “ Thank you.” He smiled in response.

“You’re going to have a hard time convincing the people of Vacuo to rise up and do something to save themselves,” Sun said “As I’ve said, Vacuans don’t trust outsiders.” You added.

“I agree.” Velvet held up her Scroll, which was wired into the terminal, “That’s why you’re going to do it. With some help from Y/N.” 

Yours and Sun’s mouths fell open.

* * *

When Yatsu came at Coco, she thought she was a goner until a crow came in front of her then the next thing she knew- Qrow was standing in front of her.

Metal clanged Metal as Harbinger hit Fulcrum and Qrow pushed Yatsuhashi back.

She widened her eyes. A crow just turned into Qrow Branwen.

But she didn’t dwell on the thought because she had a home to fight for.

“Thanks, Qrow.” She breathed out then stood up and grabbed her handbag from the sand.

“No problem, kid.” He responded, “ Will you be okay on your own?”

She nodded, “ Yea.”

“Okay, be careful.” Then he ran off to join Rumpole and Theodore in battle.

She was still shocked by the fact that the crow had somehow turned into Qrow.

Yatsuhashi got up from the floor and came at her, but his sword only caused sand to go into her face. At least she had glasses to protect her from being blinded.

“We’re going to have to do more training after this. You’re rusty!” she called. Her mind wandered for a moment to how Velvet, you, Sun, and Octavia were handling the mission. Coco didn’t know what Gill was capable of in a fight, but Carmine was a handful all on her own.

Her train of thought was cut off when Yatsuhashi rushed at her. She dashed toward him, dropped to the ground, and slid between his legs. Then she rolled to her feet, turned around, and kicked him in the back. 

Yatsu went flying into another Crown soldier who was in a battle with Neptune, “Hey, I had him!” Neptune whined. 

“Sorry!” Coco called. Then she winced as Yatsuhashi knocked Neptune over and faced her again. Coco switched her purse to a gun and planted herself. She and Yatsuhashi had practiced enough together for her to know how much he could handle. 

Yatsuhashi was almost in Coco’s face before she fired her gun. He held up his sword to block the bullets and Coco stopped firing, she didn’t want to hit anyone on her side with friendly fire. 

Yatsuhashi knelt and held his sword point down, eyes closed while he focused. 

Coco braced herself for what she knew was coming next. In a fluid motion, Yatsuhashi leaped, bringing his sword around and around. He spun with it, using the sword’s weight in front of him as momentum to slingshot him toward Coco and bring his sword around for one final, powerful blow.

But Coco didn’t wait for that. She was already jumping over the whirling blade. She touched down on the tip, throwing Yatsuhashi’s balance off, and springboarded over his head. She looped the strap of her purse around his neck and used her own weight and momentum to pull him to the ground on his back. She turned and put her boot on his chest. “I don’t want to hurt you,” Coco said. 

“That’s my line,” Yatsuhashi grunted. He dropped his sword, grabbed her by the ankle, and pulled her onto her back. He was above her in a moment, jabbing the business end of the sword toward her chest. But now he was moving a little more slowly, more carefully. Like he really didn’t want to hurt her. Like they were just sparring.

No, it was  _ exactly  _ like they were sparring.

She rolled to one side as the blade came down, then looped her leg behind Yatsuhashi’s, and pulled. He fell backward again, so Coco pushed herself up quickly and smacked his sword away with a backhanded swipe of her purse. Now they were into it. 

He swung his legs around in the air and hopped back onto his feet. Coco rushed him, but he stood his ground, and this time, when she swung her purse at him, he grabbed it and twisted, pulling it and sending Coco flying. She lost hold of her purse strap and landed thirty feet away. Yatsuhashi spun her purse around in one hand with a smirk before tossing it beside his sword. He left the weapons there as they came together and began trading blows. 

Something changed.

And Coco was sure that Yatsuhashi was back.

She would test that hunch as they followed the choreography they had rehearsed over and over again, their fight almost like a dance.

“Need some help?” Sage called.

“No, I got this,” Coco said.

“We’ll see about that,” Yatsuhashi said.

In a lower voice, Coco asked again, “You in there, Yatsuhashi?” His face didn’t change-he was good at hiding emotion-but he whispered, “I’m back in control. But I don’t want Jax to realize that.” 

Coco glanced over at the last location she had on Jax. Now he was surrounded by a ring of soldiers. “Good,” she said. “You’re going to need to get close to him,” 

Yatsuhashi grunted in assent. “And then you know what you have to do,” she said.

She saw shame and anxiety pass over his face. She blocked a punch and slapped her hand, palm out, into his chest. He stumbled backward, shaking his head. Then he grabbed her arms and they wrestled-pretended to, so he could get closer. 

“I understand what’s necessary,” he said when he was sure no one could hear. “Then let’s bring the fight closer to Jax,” Coco huffed. “Just make it look good. What do you think: Maneuver Twelve?” Yatsuhashi didn’t answer, he just launched right into it, sending Coco flying through the air in Jax’s general direction.

She landed and turned to see Yatsuhashi barreling toward her. She dropped to her back and kicked upward with both feet to catapult him ever closer to Jax. They executed the move perfectly. Coco ripped off her beret and used it to wipe sweat from her face. The Crown’s forces had plenty of Aura to burn, but fighting was already wearing her out and slowing her down.

She surveyed the moonlit battlefield, wondering how long Shade’s defences could hold out. Their numbers were about evenly matched, but the real power was all with Jax and Gill.

* * *

“On your left,” Sage called as he raced past Neptune and swung his sword at the woman. She turned invisible and his sword passed through air. Then he pitched forward as if someone had kicked him in the back. He caught his balance and brought his sword back around, again swinging and missing. Neptune started to laugh before he realized he needed to jump in and help.

* * *

The bright moon was at its highest point, but when Gill arrived, she somehow outshined it. Scarlet squinted at the very bright Aura enveloping the woman. She must have gotten past Sun and the others, but Scarlet couldn’t pause to worry about what had happened to his friends. Now it was up to them to shut Gill down.

After an hour of fighting, Scarlet realized that there was no way he or anyone could beat the Crown’s Aura-enhanced soldiers, who had been hand-selected for their strong Semblances. 

The Shade forces had already been pushed back-the Crown was inside the wall.

They were losing.

So Scarlet ran toward Gill, dodging her forces, firing bullets with the gun in his left hand and blocking attacks with the cutlass in his right. He was peripherally aware the others had the same idea. Olive and Arslan were also heading for Gill, while Coco was still fighting Yatsuhashi and too close to Jax for comfort. Scarlet wondered what her play was going to be. Until Gill was defeated, Jax was as untouchable as his army.

* * *

When Coco had seen Gill arrive, she stumbled, taking a punch from Yatsuhashi full force. He hadn’t been pulling back because he hadn’t expected her to let him hit her. 

She sprawled in the sand while he waited for her, not sure what to do. She shook her head and scrambled to her feet, dusting herself off. 

“Lucky punch,” she called out for Jax’s benefit. They were close to him, close enough for him to watch them fight with obvious enjoyment, but not close enough to make their move yet. Whatever that was going to be. She had to get Yatsuhashi within arm’s length of him so he could do his thing, but Jax was well protected at the moment.

“What’s wrong?” Yatsuhashi asked under his breath as they resumed their fight. “Velvet, Sun, Y/N, and Octavia were supposed to stop Gill from getting here,” Coco whispered. 

Now it was Yatsuhashi’s turn to be worried when he saw the bright Aura at the corner of his eye. He turned a little to find, the one and only, Gill Asturias.

If Gill was here, then that meant you four had failed. And they had no idea what that could have meant.

Coco planted a roundhouse kick right in Yatsuhashi’s gut. He doubled over, “Why?” he groaned. “Jax is watching,” she reminded him. “Right.” Yatsuhashi winced and pulled himself back up, “Glad we’re on the same side.”

“Me too,” she breathed, “You may not believe it, but I don’t enjoy beating you up.”

“I don’t believe it,” he muttered, swinging wildly and intentionally just missing her, “Especially since I can’t remember you ever beating me.” 

“Well, you’ve got that memory thing, so.” Coco ducked and delivered an uppercut that came just an inch short of actually hitting him, though he yowled and staggered away from her. 

Coco rolled her eyes, “Tone it down,” she mumbled.

“Now that Gill’s here, maybe I should go after her,” Yatsuhashi said.

Coco considered it. She saw Scarlet, Olive, and Arslan all converging on Gill and she thought they had the right idea, “New plan,” she said as she and Yatsuhashi circled each other, “I’ll go for Gill. We may not be able to weaken her, but we can keep her from touching anyone else and stealing their Aura or delivering it to the troops. Maybe, just maybe, she’ll start to run out eventually. She must be stretched pretty thin. You join Jax’s guard and wait for a clear shot at Jax. Use your Semblance on all of them if you need to.” Yatsuhashi grimaced. He didn’t like the idea of that. “If I need to,” he agreed. 

Coco ran straight at Yatsuhashi and tackled him in the chest, just like she had when wrestling with her brothers growing up. Yatsuhashi folded, and she pushed herself up. “Good luck,” she said. Then she broke away from him and ran toward Gill. Along the way she scooped up her purse and turned it into a Gatling gun. 

Scarlet, Arslan, and Olive were fighting Gill, while Coco was running at her.

Scarlet was the first to reach Gill. She didn’t have any Huntsman surrounding her like her brother did because she was basically her own forcefield. 

Gill pulled a bow from the sling at her back and drew an arrow in one smooth motion, sending it sailing toward him. He knocked it out of the way with his cutlass. He fired at her with his pistol. 

She didn’t even dodge, just accepted the full force of his bullets. She fired another arrow as she ran toward him. And another. He blocked them just as before, but then she was right in front of him, reaching out a hand.

He heard gunfire and then Dust bullets exploded against Gill, amped by Coco’s Semblance. Gill stepped back, swatting at her face. She dropped her bow over Scarlet’s head and spun him around, sending him into the air. He tried to glide to a safe touchdown, but he was too low to the ground. He skimmed over the sand, hit it a few times and bounced into the air, and then crashed to a halt. He just laid there, stunned.

Coco kept firing at Gill, but as far as she could tell she wasn’t making a dent in her Aura. It was just like the fight with Carmine earlier.

Hand to hand, then. Or purse to head,

Coco swung at Gill. The other woman didn’t even flinch, but Coco was satisfied to have wiped the smile off her face. Briefly.

“I’m surprised Theodore is letting students fight his battles for him,” Gill taunted. 

“I’m surprised you’re fighting at all,” Coco snapped, “Don’t you usually hide behind stronger fighters? Draining innocent people of their Aura?” Coco was ready for the woman’s arrows when they came flying toward her. Coco held up her bag to block them.

“You have a strong Aura,” Gill said. 

“And it’s one hundred percent mine, not stolen like yours,” Coco retorted, advancing. 

“Soon your Aura will be one hundred percent mine, too.” Gill reached out to touch Coco.

“No way. I’m still using it.” Coco reached, too, and grabbed Gill by the forearm and elbow, pulling her forward. Gill was caught off-balance and Coco shifted her grip to her hair. She brought a knee into Gill’s face as she pushed down on her head. Gill scrabbled around for her hand, fingernails digging into Coco’s skin like claws.

That was when Coco noticed a small Crown-shaped mark on the inside of Gill’s wrist. “Is this supposed to be the birthmark?” she asked. Gill held on tighter and stared hard at Coco. Coco gasped as she felt Aura being drawn out of her. She collapsed onto her knees. 

“ I’m serious...it looks more like a brand.” She said tiredly, and faintly, “ “Did your dad put that mark on you, or did you do it to yourself?” 

It was like her very breath was being pulled from her lungs along with her Aura. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think. She fumbled for her purse with her free hand, but she was losing her strength and she could barely lift it. Her purse fell to the sand. 

“Only one kid in a generation’s supposed to be born with the royal …” Coco could hardly form the words. The edges of her vision were blurring and dimming. When Gill let her go, Coco collapsed beside her purse.

* * *

Yatsuhashi’s Scroll buzzed. He pulled it out, hoping it would be Velvet, but it was some sort of emergency broadcast. “Yes, I know,” He rolled his eyes, “We’re having an emergency.” He tried to silence it, but it kept buzzing. No-other Scrolls were buzzing all around him. 

_ “Is this thing on?” _ Sun’s voice echoed on dozens of Scrolls across the campus. _“I think so,_ ” said Velvet. 

_ “Yep, it’s on!” _ Qrow gasped and pulled out his scroll when he heard your voice. He was happy to see you alive, but he didn’t like the new bruises on you. He had seen all of your scars and bruises from the hospital, so he knew when there were new ones.

_ “Go ahead. _ ” Velvet said.

_ “Hey, umm, Vacuo. My name is Sun Wukong. I grew up here, so some of you might remember me. I’m sorry I left a little while ago, but I came home to study at Shade. Home is important to us, right? I know we all move around at some point, and many of us don’t have one city or village to settle in, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned these past few months, it’s that home isn’t really a place … it’s the people you keep coming back to. Right now, there’s a battle raging in our city. You may have heard of the Crown, two people who say they’re heirs to Vacuo’s throne. I don’t know about you, but I don’t need a king or queen telling me what to do. We’ve gone a long time fending for ourselves, and it’s made us strong. I’m not ready for that to change. Maybe you don’t agree. Maybe you think it would be nice to have someone protecting you, nice to go back to the old ways. They say they can make Vacuo a paradise again, but we all know that Vacuo is gone. We’ve all moved on, but they haven’t. Remember those people who have been missing for the last year? All those faces from the Weeping Wall? Well, my friends and I found them. “ _

You took the scroll from his hands and put it up into the air to show about fifty, pale, exhausted, Vacuans behind you.

They smiled and waved. One kid called out, “Am I on TV?” People on the battlefield had started to murmur.

_ “ And we know who took them, Jax Asturias and Gillian Asturias.” _ You said then handed the Scroll back to Sun.

_ “Right now, they’re fighting my friends, the students of Shade Academy, for control of Vacuo. The Crown has been using Vacuan citizens-draining them of Aura, brainwashing them to fight. Jax and Gill aren’t real leaders. They’re tyrants. Long ago, we lost our identity and our way of life because people became too content. We let the other kingdoms come here and take what they wanted, put us to work mining Dust, let us die in their mines. And then they left us with nothing but sand and heat. They promised us prosperity and paradise, but we ended up with nothing but bitter memories. But we did hold on to something: We have a home. We have each other. Now you have to make a choice. Every person here has to decide, do you want to stay in charge of Vacuo’s destiny, or do you want to give it all up to Jax and Gill, who have already shown us the kind of rulers they are: people who take what they want by force, who care only about themselves. The days of trusting in others to defend you and your home are over. We need everyone to join us at Shade Academy right now and show the Crown who we are. Whether you’ve fought before or not, grab a weapon, make yourself loud, and join us. This isn’t just the Huntsmen’s fight, and you can’t wait for us to save you. Because that’s not how we do things in Vacuo. Not anymore. “ _

Sun handed the scroll back to you.

You exhaled and let out the breath that you’ve been holding for a long time,  _ “ The battle seems unwinnable but all we need is a miracle. I may not be from Vacuo but I’ve been here a lot of times to call this place a home of my own. We can’t bring back the old Vacuo, because we can’t bring back what is gone. So please, fight for Vacuo, because we will win! We can’t waste tears on what Vacuo had used to be, instead, we’ll carry on. This doesn’t open up like fate, this is the future we create, and we are powered by everything Vacuo has to offer. Vacuo is strong, and it’s so much more than just what everyone thinks of it. But we can’t prove that with words, so come to Shade Academy, and fight for your kingdom.” _

* * *

Marrow smiled as he watched everything, and relief washed over him when he heard your voice.

“ Maria was right, they are here,” Elm said.

The Ace-ops, General Ironwood, Oscar- well Ozpin- were right outside of Vacuo, and close enough to its CCT.

* * *

The transmission cut off and someone started laughing. Qrow growled.

“That was the most pathetic, desperate thing I’ve ever seen!” Jax said in between his laughs,” You know you’ve lost. Why keep fighting?” Jax cackled.

Theodore approached him to answer. “Because we never give up,” he said, “Because this place belongs to all of us, not just to you.”

“ Vacuo is strong.” Qrow stood by his side.

“ And it’s our home,” Rumpole said.

“They aren’t going to save you,” Jax said, rolling his eyes dramatically. 

Fox was finally able to use his semblance again, “  _ “Long story short, it looks like the Grimm are attracted to the pretty Aura coming from Gill Asturias and the Crown’s forces.”  _

“ What?!” Argento yelled. Confused comments coming from Crownsmen.

And then the drums began, from the other side of the wall. Gill turned to see a stream of people entering the Shade Academy campus, banging pots and boxes, carrying guns and swords and knives. Bows and arrows. Maces. They weren’t Huntsman weapons, but this was Vacuo, and everyone was armed-even in the city. And they were coming for a fight. For the first time, Gill was worried. She raised her bow. 

Coco hurried over to Headmaster Theodore, who was watching the Grimm surround Jax and his guards, looking vaguely disappointed. “Everything okay, sir?” Coco asked. 

“Ms. Adel! You’ve been doing fine work out here. Don’t think I haven’t noticed. But this …” Theodore gestured at the Grimm and Crown’s army, “This just isn’t natural.” 

“The world is changing, sir.” 

Theodore frowned, “More than you know. But you aren’t here to check on me. Let’s talk strategy. What’s your idea?” 

Coco was surprised he had read her so easily, but it saved her some time. 

“Yatsuhashi isn’t under Jax’s control anymore.”

“I noticed,” Theodore said.

“If we can get him to Jax, he can use his Semblance to temporarily wipe Jax’s mind and disorient him-break his hold on the army … the part that’s brainwashed, anyway.” 

Theodore nodded slowly, “I like it. But how are we going to do it?” Coco liked the idea of a headmaster asking her what to do. But she didn’t have time to savor it now. “I want you to pretend to fight him, and then punch him really hard.” 

“Pretend to?” Theodore raised an eyebrow. 

“No, actually punch him.” Coco demonstrated, “Hard enough to send him directly toward Jax.” 

Theodore’s face lit up. “Good! I’ve been meaning to challenge young Mr. Daichi to a bout.” He clicked his gloves together. “I’m on it.” Professor Theodore headed for Yatsuhashi. Coco wondered if he was going to tell Yatsuhashi the plan first. If not, though, she trusted her teammate. Eh, he’ll figure it out.

* * *

You looked at the footsteps in the sand, none of them were from you, Velvet, Sun or Octavia, they were recent footsteps. Too big for Bertilak and too big for you, especially because the size wasn’t yours and it was not from your boots.

They were Carmine’s

You knew Carmine was still out there and that someone needed to stop her, yet you also knew that Shade was in danger, and you had to help.

But Carmine was dangerous

  
  


“ You guys go back to Shade.” You turned to Velvet and Sun, “ I’m going after Carmine.”

“ Y/N, your joking, right?” Velvet asked, “ She’s stronger than me and you, and she’ll try  _ murdering  _ you.” 

It was a gut feeling and it was like your mind was screaming at you to go after her. Someone who has been murdering people is still out there, so they should understand why you want to go after her. “ I don’t care. I’m still going.” Velvet knew you wouldn’t give in, so she gave up, “ Promise me, and I mean  _ promise me _ , that you’ll be back.” 

“ I promise. Go save Shade.”

* * *

They were starting to win.

Jax was fighting his way through to get to his sister.

“We can escape,” Gill insisted, “I still have enough Aura-” 

“No,” Jax said firmly. “We aren’t leaving. This is our moment. What we’ve spent our whole lives building toward.”

“We’ve lost,” Gill said, “Somehow we’ve lost.” 

“You heard those kids. We’re from Vacuo, and that means we never stop fighting.” Jax stood and turned to face the bullets head-on, “If we can’t take Shade Academy, I’ll settle for destroying it.” 

“We’ll die if we stay!” Gill said, her voice barely audible. 

Jax looked at his sister. “Then we die.” Gill stared at him, horrified. 

Gill was starting to pull back the Aura he had, the Aura she had given him. To save herself. A bullet pierced his left arm. He cried out and saw blood. He felt the burning pain. “What are you doing? Stop!” Jax grabbed her arm. She was stronger than him, a better fighter, but he only needed a moment. “Give me all your Aura,” he told Gill. Her eyes widened. “As you wish,” she said. And she did.

He shielded her from all the bullets, yet some kept hitting her. One more hit would probably kill Gill. “I only did what you would have done,” he told her. “What you already did before we were even born.” 

As a shadow loomed, Jax turned to see a Ziraph lunging for him.

_ This is probably the strangest thing I’ve ever done, _ Yatsuhashi thought as he rode the large Grimm across the battlefield, steering by yanking on each of its remaining two necks. He waved at Neptune, Olive, and Arslan as he passed their astonished faces.

_ No, _ he realized, remembering his ride on the back of a giant desert turtle.  _ This isn’t even the strangest thing I’ve done this year. _ He watched as Gill crumpled to the sand and Jax stood over her. Yatsuhashi glowered at them both.

As the Ziraph drew near and attacked, Yatsuhashi launched himself from its back and tackled Jax out of the way of the Grimm’s snapping jaws. They wrestled on the ground, each of them using their Semblance on the other.

“Stop fighting me. I’m not your enemy!” Jax said. The battlefield swirled around Yatsuhashi, and Jax’s voice seemed to hammer into his brain. His grip loosened, but he shook his head and flipped Jax onto his back forcefully. “No,” Yatsuhashi growled. “You listen to me! Forget.” 

Yatsuhashi pinned him, knees pressing into Jax’s chest. Now that they were so close, he could see that Jax wasn’t much older than him. Yatsuhashi was stronger, but Jax had more Aura right now, and Yatsuhashi was running low. Too low to put much into his Semblance.

After all of this, he was going to fail.

He felt himself slipping back into the dark corner of his mind as Jax started to gain control over him. Then he felt a hand on his arm. He looked and saw Gill. 

He started to shake her off when he saw her other hand was on Jax’s shoulder. And then Yatsuhashi felt Aura flood into him, like a breath of fresh air.

He punched it all into his Semblance, making Jax forget. Jax suddenly went slack. He felt Jax’s presence jolt out of his mind. And when he looked around, he saw many Crown soldiers’ faces waking up on the battlefield. “It’s over,” Gill said weakly.

“Yes. He isn’t controlling you anymore,” Yatsuhashi said. 

She gave him a puzzled look. “Jax wasn’t controlling me.”

Yatsuhashi gaped at her. “He wasn’t? You mean all those things you did …” He looked out over the battlefield. “All this. You did it because-” 

“I love him. He’s my brother. And we had a destiny.”

“Then why did you help me?” Yatsuhashi asked.

“Because if I didn’t, we both would have died.” She closed her eyes. “I almost killed him myself, at the end. Because I didn’t want to go.” She whispered then collapsed into the desert sand.

The Huntsmen on the battlefield were either running away-those who had always been loyal to Jax, without the need for him to control them-or fighting the Grimm side by side with Shade’s students and faculty. Jax, meanwhile, was lying still, stupefied at Yatsuhashi’s feet, eyes wide open. “Jax?” Yatsuhashi asked

No response. But tears were streaming down the man’s cheeks. _I_ __f y_ ou wanted to, you could wipe anyone’s mind clean,  _ Jax had said. Yatsuhashi stumbled back, disgusted with himself. In the heat of the moment, he might have overdone it. This was why he had avoided using his Semblance for so long. 

“Yatsu?” Velvet was standing behind him, looking from him to Jax on the ground. She came closer and reached out to hug him. 

He pulled away, “Don’t touch me,” he mumbled. 

She frozen, “You did good. You did what you had to.” He nodded, but he didn’t want to talk about it. Not yet, “There’s still a bit to do.”

They scanned the battlefield as dawn broke over the horizon. It was humans and Faunus against Grimm, as it should be. That had been you, Velvet and Sun’s doing, and, in a strange way, it was also because of Jax. He had wanted to bring everyone together like the Vacuo of old, and he’d succeeded. “It’ll be nice to just be fighting Grimm again,” Velvet said quietly.

* * *

It felt like an hour until the Grimm were gone.

Qrow scanned the battlefield, but you weren’t anywhere to be seen, he only saw Velvet and Sun.

“ Velvet!” He called and ran towards her, “ Where’s Y/N?” He asked, Theodore and Rumpole joining him.

“ She went after Carmine Esclados.” She responded.

“ **_WHAT!?!”_ ** They all roared and Velvet flinched.

“ That’s not good…” Rumpole said, under her breath.

Qrow felt his heart stop and his blood ran cold.

* * *

You grunted and opened Hush as Carmine used her telekinesis to send sand flying towards you.

Once you felt the sand stop coming, you closed Hush and thwacked her in the head. She stumbled and fell to the ground.

“ That’s enough!” You were out of breath from all the fighting, how was she still standing?! “ Just give up.”

You heard her laugh as she started to stand up, her hand on the side of her face from where you hit her. Her back was faced to you, “ You thought I’d just give up easily?”

She turned and you widened her eyes.

There was a fierceness in her eyes, one that you’ve never seen from anyone before. But that wasn’t the only thing about her eyes. Golden fire was coming out of her eyes.

She was the Summer Maiden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'ALL WEREN'T EXPECTING THAT, WERE YOU?


	54. Heading back to Atlas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: pain and blood.

Glass hit Rocks.

Sand went in eyes.

You were bleeding.

A sand storm raged in the Wasteland. Carmine had to be stopped. You didn't want to kill anyone, especially her, but she was the _Summer Maiden_ , and she could have hurt a lot of people with that power. 

No wonder how she was always so strong, she wasn't just powered by Aura, but she was also powered by, well, power. Carmine would have been able to lift bigger piles of sand, but she probably didn't know how to use the Summer Maiden powers. Oz explained that the Maidens can only use elemental powers, and sand is elemental, but since Carmine wasn't lifting bigger piles of sand than she already was, then she didn't know how to use the power.

But she knew how to make a fucking Sandstorm.

She didn't know how to lift more sand, but she knew how to make a fucking Sandstorm?!

It must have been powered by her anger, Oz also told you that the powers growth can come from emotion.

OH, And she somehow had another Sai, hidden on her back behind her cape. 

You cried out in pain as her Sai went into the side of your stomach. She wasn't holding back. your stomach. You’ve both been fighting for what felt like forever. Your Aura already broke and hers was dangerously low. 

No wonder why it took all of Team CFVY and some help from Edward Caspian, and oddly, Bertilak. To beat her.

She was strong.

Probably stronger than James Ironwood and Atlas’s Golden Boy themselves. 

You winced as she used her Telekinesis to bring her Sai back- and out of the side of your stomach- At least know you know what half of the pain was that Weiss felt. But you had a feeling there would be more pain. You saw blood pouring out. But you had to stay strong if you were gonna stop her.

“ Why are you doing this?!” Your voice was muffled by the sound of the sandstorm raging.

She didn’t answer and sand came flying towards you. You didn’t have time to open Hush so you put your arms in front of you, then the next you knew, was a kick to the gut.

And it was a hard kick.

You skimmed over the desert sand, hitting it a bunch of times, bounced each time too, then crashed into a boulder.

Your vision was fading and you felt tears in your eyes from the sand.

You probably broke something from that, especially because you felt something break. 

You saw the outline of her body walk towards you, but you could barely see. You heard her giggle and you felt her smirk.

“ Never thought I’d lose in a desert.” You mumbled.

“ Never thought I’d have to kill a hottie like you out here in the desert. But, I guess I have to..” She replied.

As her Sai flew towards you, you grabbed Hush and flung it away, then disappeared into the sandstorm.

“ No!” She yelled as her Sai flew away, and under all the sand.

She scoffed, “ That was my last one.”

Your wrist was fractured and assuming that you could barely move your leg, it was broken. You put your hand on the handle of Hush then pressed a button right by it, then you pulled the Misericorde out.

She smirked and put her hand out.

You felt the Misericorde trying to move towards her but you held on tightly. Your knuckles went white as your grip tightened and she kept trying to use her semblance to take the Misericorde away from you.

Your eyes lit up when an idea popped into your head.

You just had to make her reach her limit.

Her hand was shaking and it was your turn to smirk.

Her aura broke and you let go.

It flew towards her, almost faster than Ruby’s semblance.

She gasped and widened her eyes when the Misericorde went through her chest. She didn't expect you to let go and she didn't have enough time to stop using her semblance.

She struggled to regain her breath and she collapsed into the desert sand.

The Sandstorm had calmed down.

You struggled to get up, and once you did, you walked over to her and kneeled.

“ You’ll...pay.” She said, breathlessly.

The Sand Storm fully stopped.

Carmine must have killed the Summer Maiden after she disappeared. You just hope that whoever is in Carmine’s last thoughts, will be a good Maiden, and not use the powers for all that is bad.

The light faded from her eyes.

Her Aura showed across her body then went above her and into a cloud. You just assumed that was how they were transferred.

You sighed and tried to at least crawl away, but your leg was broken, your wrist was fractured, and you had the gigantic wound from her Sai in the side of your stomach, which was still bleeding out.

You laid down and hoped that the sand from the previous sandstorm wouldn't end up burying you alive.

But, something unexpected happened.

The cloud of Aura...moved to you.

“ What?” You breathed out, then winced when there was a mild pain at the corner of your eyes.

...Wait

You grabbed a glass shard that was in the sand beside you. You wiped the sand off and looked into the shard. It was hard to see yourself because of the sun and the stain of sand, but one thing was visible.

Fire.

Brown and Pink fire.

Coming from your eyes.

You widened your eyes in realization yet horror.

You...you couldn't be a maiden!

You just wanted a normal life! Well, there wasn't anything normal about fighting in a war against the world's most toxic ex, but a Maiden is something you've never wanted to be. What...what would happen? Would you have to stay in Vacuo? You were just a target for, well, anyone who wants the Maiden powers!

You started shaking and your breath hitched.

“ Make it stop!” You cried out and shut your eyes tightly. A beat passed and you opened them, but the fire was still there.

“ No…” You breathed out.

What would happen to you? Would everyone just see you differently now? A Maiden for fucks sake! This was power you never wanted. Never asked for! You thought Carmine would have thought of someone else, not you! 

The sand from the sandstorm started falling and you opened Hush as fast as you could. The sand burying Carmine. You took the Misericorde out of Carmine before the sand could bury her. 

Fuck.

What were you gonna tell Ozpin? Your friends?! 

Your breath hitched as you stared at the sky, tears rolling down your face, “I don’t want them” 

“I don’t want this burden on me”

“Too much has happened!” You choked out and stared at your hands, _”Why?”_

Your throat felt swollen and you stuttered as you tried to keep screaming yet nothing but whimpers and cries came out, “ _Please,_ take them back.”

Would the Gods even care? Would they even listen? 

Your heart rate sped up as you continued to stare down at your hands, attempting to choke out a breath. _”why can’t I breathe?”_

_”what’s going on?”_ You curled up into a ball, covering your ears. Then let out a blood-curdling scream.

Louder than you’ve ever screamed before.

Tears rolled down your cheeks and each scream ended with sobs. Your throat was parched and you didn’t even care about anything anymore. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go…

Your blood pounded in your ears, heart thudding in your chest, your hands shook and your vision disfigured. 

An overwhelming sense of dread washed over you.

You sat up slightly, clutching your chest, tears streaming down your face as you squeaked, attempting to hold on another shriek. You ended up hugging yourself, your hands wrapped tightly around your arms, nails digging into your skin. Trying to catch your breath. your throat burned as if you just finished running a marathon. You put your head down as you sobbed harder, your chest growing tight as bile rose in your throat.

You didn’t know how long you cried, but it felt like hours. 

_“ I warned you.”_ A voice rang through your head. You recognized the voice.

That was it.

The scream, the fire, and everything.

It was what Salem showed you in the dream.

You tried your best to crawl over to a boulder, but every movement was just pain. You rested your back against it and you felt your scroll vibrate, and the sound of a muffled ringtone.

Your hand shook as you reached for it.

_Vine Zeki._

Fuck.

They were in Vacuo.

You let your scroll keep ringing until it would end or Vine would just give up and hang up. 

It ended.

You let out a long sigh.

Then your scroll started ringing again.

_A Lil Farm Boy._

It was Oscar. You had to answer, or else he would have sicked his puppy dog eyes on you when you saw him again. 

When you answered, you realized something. If Oscar was here, then that would mean Ozpin was here too-

_“ So you answer Oscar’s call, but not Vine’s?”_ Os-Ozpin asked.

_“_ I thought it would actually be Oscar, not you, professor.” You responded.

He hummed.

A beat passed.

_“ YOUNG LADY.”_

“ Old man.”

_“ WHERE IN THE WORLD HAVE YOU BEEN!?”_

“ Well, if you're in Vacuo, then you know where I am.”

“ YOU HAVE BEEN MISSING FOR THREE WEEKS AND THEN WE GET A LETTER FROM MARIA WHICH WAS WRITTEN FROM QROW THAT YOU AND HIM WERE IN VACUO?! A DESERT OF ALL PLACES! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW SCARED I WAS? I THOUGHT YOU DIED! THEN I SEE YOU ON THE VACUAN NEWS MAKING A SPEECH ABOUT SHADE A-”

“ ADA, Hang up.”

_“ DON’T HANG-”_

_“ Call has ended.”_ ADA Said.

After a while, you ended up passing out from all the stress and pain.

* * *

When you woke up, you were on something comfy, yet you were still in pain. Your vision was a little blurry but you saw a familiar ceiling.

“ Ah, you're awake!” You heard theodore say.

_How did I get here?_

First you were far in the desert, now you were in Rumpole’s office.

“ Qrow found you.” He responded.

Maybe you didn't think that in your head.

Theodore put a hand on your back to help you sit up, there were at least 5 chairs all pushed together and you were laying on them, with cushions on them too.

“ What happened?” He asked.

You looked around, Team CFVY, Rumpole and Qrow were in the office.

“ I was fighting Carmine…” You trailed off as you tried to remember anything.

Fuck. Becoming a Maiden and everything. You couldn’t just tell them you were a Maiden! Otherwise, they would have known you killed her, and you can't exactly say that you killed someone.

“ I was fighting Carmine...then a Ravager came, and it, uhm, well, ate her.” You didn't want to lie to everyone, especially because you were already lying to the others about being the leader of the Fang, but, you just couldn't bare saying you were the Summer Maiden. They would all think differently of you. They would all _know_ you killed Carmine.

They all winced and you nodded. “ Here’s Hush.” Yatsu was holding Hush in his hands. You grabbed it but then gasped as screams rang in your head. Your screams. You dropped Hush and everyone looked at you confused, “ Uh, sorry, my hand still hurts.” But it...didn't?

“ That's weird. Your wrist should be completely healed.” Fox said.

You started turning your hand around and twisting your wrist...it wasn't fractured? You started moving your leg, and it wasn't broken?! How?

“ How am I…”

“ Your Aura is in the green level, all 100% of it.” Coco said.

100%?

“ 100%?” Qrow asked. Qrow knew you only regenerated 57% of a new aura, so how did you have 100%?

“ Yep!” Theodore jumped up.

Wait. 

That was it.

By becoming a Maiden, you also get their aura along with their power.

You chuckled nervously, “ Yea..”

Rumpole kneeled down beside you and whispered, “ Y/N, what happened to the Maiden powers?”

Your breath hitched, “ I saw a cloud of aura just...uhm...disappear.” You shrugged and she nodded, then walked away.

“ But your shoulder is dislocated, so I'm going to put it back in place.” You looked at Theodore wide-eyed and he pulled a chair up that wasn't being used.

“ NO!” You yelled and he flinched, “ Your punches can send someone across a 10-metre field. So I _don't_ trust those hands.”

He nodded his head in agreement, but he wasn't going to give up, “ Please?”

“ No.”

“ Please.”

“ No.”

“ Please.”

“ No.” 

“ Please.”

“ No.”

“ Please.”

“ No.”

He sighed and gave up.

A heartbeat passed.

“ ON THREE!” He yelled.

“What?”

“ ONE-THREE.” His hands went on your shoulder then there was a sudden pain and you cried out, “ THEO-AGH- YOU DICK!” 

They all looked at you wide-eyed and you glared at Theodore. He chuckled, “ Well then, that's settled!”

You gave him a death glare as he walked away, “ Y/N.” Qrow cleared his throat, “ We have some... _visitors._ ” He handed you your scroll.

“ OH!” You winced at all the missed calls.

_4 missed calls from Vine Zeki._

_17 missed calls from Clover Ebi._

_3 missed calls from James Ironwood._

_37 missed calls from Marrow Amin❤️._

You smiled at the heart, “ Aww, you gave Marrow a heart.” You glared at Qrow and he threw his hands up in surrender, but he was still gonna tease.

_22 missed calls from A Lil Farm Boy._

You weren't surprised by how many came from Elm.

_54 missed calls from Elm Ederne._

Then he showed you his scroll and you winced, 

_67 calls from Clover Ebi._

_962 messages._

“ at least half of the calls and messages are from when I broke up with him, they all sent now because he’s in range.” Qrow said.

Theodore cleared his throat and you both looked at him. He waved his hand over a window and it showed the desert, “ They’re here.”

It was dark out, and the Airbus was the only light, other than the moon and the stars.

You stood up and Qrow followed you to the window. There was an Airbus out in the desert, it was reasonable not to land it in the courtyard. Rumpole’s window had a clear shot of the wasteland.

“ Shit.” You breathed out.

“ Language!” Velvet called and you rolled your eyes.

You turned to Qrow, “ You ready?” You asked and he let out a shaky breath, “ Yea.” He breathed out. 

“ We’ll be right behind you!” Rumpole gave a thumbs-up as you and Qrow left her office.

You and Qrow hid behind a boulder. You peaked around and saw that the door of the Airbus was opened, and Elm seemed to be loving Vacuo.

“ You know, as much as I've never been here, this is my place!” She had her arms up and took in the sight of a wasteland. “ Yeah, being in a place with nothing but sand and dehydration is perfect.” Marrow came out of the Airbus, “ But, this is the only place that accepts Faunus, so.” He shrugged.

“ And a place for Clover to have reason not to have sleeves.” Vine came out of the Airbus, General Ironwood and Clover at his side. Clover rolled his eyes in response.

You tilted your head up and Qrow was also looking, he tensed when he saw Clover.

They were all here. 

Wait.

Where was Harriet? You would understand why Winter wasn't here, since she would have had to stay for the Academy. But where was Harriet?

“ Our best guess is that Y/N and Qrow are at Shade Academy.” General Ironwood said. You tilted your head up more, “ You ready?” You breathed out. Qrow hesitated but then nodded. 

_“ You’re all fine to come.”_ You sent to Fox and the others. 

“ Or, your best guess is, that we're right here.” You both came out from behind the boulder and everyone gasped.

Clover was the first to run up to you both. But Qrow was the first to talk when he came, “ Cloves, I-I’m sorry. I was scared that you would think it was my semblance for the reason you got hurt. And- Okay I swear I had a speech ready for why I love you and-”

“ Shut up and kiss me.” Clover cupped his face and kissed him. Qrow’s eyes were wide but they closed and he kissed him back.

You all cooed.

You looked at Marrow, who was walking towards you, and he looked _furious._

“ I can't believe it! You have been missing for three weeks and then two days ago I find out you’re in Vacuo?! A desert of all places! I know you really like this place but do you know how worried I've been- how worried _we’ve_ been!? I know you really like scaring us but this was next level-”

You shut him up by grabbing the lapel of his shirt and brought him down- then kissed him deeply. He rolled his eyes playfully and wrapped his arms around your waist. You tried not to wince because he brushed over your wound.

You opened your eyes and saw that even Xanthe was here- and she was smiling. But rolled her eyes at the lovey-dovey duo.

Maybe time stopped when your lips went against each other, but the flutter only intensified. Your heart pounded in your chest as your knees got weaker. You could only focus on how soft he felt against your mouth.

You parted, the kiss leaving you both breathless. There you stood, in a desert, basically glued to each other. It was like no one else existed, and it totally wasn't like there were a bunch of eyes on you.

“ AGAIN!” You turned around and there stood Coco- with a hand on her hip and she was smirking. Velvet rested her head against her shoulder as she started cooing, “ Aww.” She smiled.

It was like Marrow was never shy- as he dived back into the kiss.

“ YEAAA!” Coco cheered and Velvet jumped up in glee.

You parted lips- again. “Can I please take you out on a date?” He said under his breath. You chuckled, “ I've been waiting for you to ask.” Your gaze fell on an awkward James Ironwood.

“ I'll be back.” You walked towards a tense as fuck, General Ironwood.

You rubbed the back of your head nervously, “ Uh, hey, General-” 

You stopped when he kneeled down and hugged you, “ It's James.” Can one word just forgive everything? Because by saying that, you smiled and hugged him.

“ Gods, Y/N, I am so sorry. I should have never tried trapping you in the hospital room, and I never will again. You're like a daughter to me, and I don't think you understand how worried I've been. I was running around Atlas every day, and then it ended up that Qrow went missing! I honestly think I have heart issues.” Your eyes widened at his last words, hopefully, he was joking. 

You hugged him tighter, “ Don't have a heart attack!” You yelled out, “ If you're actually having heart issues, I will get Oscar to sick his puppy eyes on you!” Oscar’s head jerked up when his name was called, then he nodded his head.

James chuckled, “ I missed you.”

His hand brushed at the side of your stomach-right by your wound- and you winced. James immediately broke the hug and looked. His eyes widened mildly at the five-centimetre wound in the left side of your stomach. There was dried blood all over it. How did they not even see it before? You wore a shirt that showed your damn stomach. The shirt was white too- and now stained from the blood.

“ How did that happen?!” He asked then everyone came by and winced really loud, except team CFVY, Theodore and Rumpole.

You breathed out a laugh, “ Long story.” You looked around and decided to ask, “ Where’s Harriet?”

They all smiled, “ Harriet found her mom a month and a half ago, and she wanted to get to know her mom better, so her mom invited her over for two weeks. General Ironwood happily gave her the two weeks off.” Elm said.

You gasped and smiled, “ She found her?!” You squealed in glee.

Harriet knew that woman was her mother, you just didn't expect her mom to find out that fast. But why didn't Harriet ever tell you?

“ We should get that stitched up.” Theodore kneeled down and you felt the breeze of his fingers go over your wound. “ I'll stitch them up.” Someone else came out of the Airbus. You looked up and- oh for fucks sake.

Kai Flint.

You glared at James and he smiled sheepishly.

“ Flint.” Your tone was harsh and cold.

“ L/N.” He retorted.

A few moments passed until you both started chuckling, “ Come on let's get that stitched up.”

* * *

You laid your head in Marrow’s lap on one of the- comfy- wall couches. He held your hand and you squeezed it each time the stitching hurt.

“ If you keep moving, then It'll hurt.” Kai rolled his eyes. You glared at him but also tried not to move at all.

“ Sorry.” You squeaked and looked into Marrow’s eyes-those lovely eyes.” I'm not hurting you, am I?” You asked.

He shook his head, “ Of course you're not.” He booped your nose and you giggled. Kai rolled his eyes.

Your gaze fell on Oscar who was giving you the silent treatment. Of course, you hugged him when you saw him after three weeks, and you apologized to Ozpin for hanging up on him, but Oscar was still giving you the silent treatment.

Oz’s dog form was nowhere in sight, so it must have been back at the academy. _“ Hey, professor?”_ You sent. Even in Mistral, you were able to talk to him telepathically, but he rather he'd take control over Oscar since he didn't like using telepathy.

_“ Yes?”_ Oz still found it unusual you called him professor.

_“ So at times, you can see what Oscar sees, and what your dog form sees, right?”_ You asked.

“ _Well, not exactly. I'm not always in control of my...dog-” He hated to say the word dog, “ Form. So right now, the dog is probably acting like an actual dog. Though I can switch back to my other form anytime, I'd still be able to hear what Oscar is saying or what anyone else around him is saying, no matter what.”_

That made sense...kind of.

“ So, I have to ask,” Coco spoke up from a corner in the ship, “ Why does this kid here- Oscar, was it? Have Professor Ozpin’s cane?” She asked. Kai’s eyebrow raised up as he was even confused.

Team CFVY didn't know who Oscar was, only team SSSN did because they had met him in Mistral, just like they met Qrow. 

“ He’s his son.” You, James, Qrow, The Ace-ops, Rumpole, team SSSN, and Theodore all said in unison. Team SSSN didn't know the truth, though. You had all told them that Oscar was Ozpin’s son when they first met him in Mistral.

Rumpole and Theodore didn't talk to Ozpin yet, but when they saw his cane, they immediately knew that Oscar had Ozpin in his head. 

_“ You're gonna have to tell Rumpole and Theodore about Salem.”_ Oscar reminded Oz.

Oz sighed, “ _I will when my former students aren't here.”_

Velvet gasped then looked at Oscar, “ I am so sorry for your loss! Your father was a great person!” She started hugging Oscar tightly and it took all of your will not to laugh.

“ All done. Now I just need you to move a little so I can wrap the wrapping bandage around your entire stomach.” Kai said.

You lifted yourself and Kai started wrapping the wrapping bandage around your stomach, “ You only need it if any new blood tries to come out.” He said.

“ Where did you even get all the medical stuff from?” You asked. It wasn't likely for Kai to bring his medical stuff with him on trips. “ There's a small infirmary in the ship,” James answered and you hummed.

ADA was already in the ship's system. You smiled, you were happy that James finally added ADA.

The next few minutes went by as Coco and Rumpole explained about the crown, and you told them about your fight with Carmine. You didn't say you were the Summer Maiden, though. And you all told them that Carmine was killed by a Ravager during your fight. 

You couldn't even touch Hush, or else the flashbacks of getting the powers would keep coming back to your head. Could...could you even fight anymore? This wasn't your Aura..none of it was your Aura. 

The one thing you loved, being a Huntress, just flew out the window. 

You all went back into the school. Team CFVY and SSSN had a Beacon Brigade meeting, and Ozpin told Rumpole and Theodore about Salem.

The talk didn't go well, but Theodore and Rumpole took it lightly and didn't end up punching him.

Then, you all spent the last of your time in Vacuo with Team CFVY and SSSN.

* * *

It was almost morning when it was time to leave. The Airbus was fueled up and everyone was ready to go. They were just waiting on you.

“ It's like a second goodbye.” You said to team CFVY and SSSN. Everyone had tears in their eyes- Even Yatsuhashi.

Coco hugged you tightly, “ Gods, we'll miss you so much.” She breathed out then sniffed. 

You extended your arms for everyone to join in on the hug. There were the sounds of sniffs and coughs, “ Come barge into Atlas once you graduate, okay?” You asked and everyone nodded their heads.

You broke the hug and gave a salute to them, “ Until next time.” Your voice cracked and you all dived back into the hug again. You hated goodbyes.

“ Give Team RWBY and JNPR our best wishes,” Yatsuhashi said.

“ And make sure to send us letters every month!” Velvet added.

You chuckled but it ended with a sniff, “ As long as you send letters too.”

You broke the hug. You knew that if you stayed longer, then you would never leave. You started walking to the Airbus but stopped by Rumpole and Theodore before you got to it.

You fist-bumped Theodore, “ When you come back here, let's have another round.” He jabbed a fist and you giggled. You looked at Rumpole and smiled, “ It was nice to know you, Rumpole.” You hugged her, “You're a great Huntress, Y/N. I could learn a lot from you.” She said.

You broke the hug and continued to walk to the Airbus.

You stepped in then turned around. You waved goodbye and they all did the same, then, the doors closed. The Airbus lifted into the sky and you heard everyone yelling Goodbye until their voices faded as the Airbus flew over the desert.

“ Until next time.” You breathed out and sniffed.

Marrow hugged you.

* * *

It was night, and you were all so close to Atlas. Close enough, that you started to see the Tundra and you were in range with it's CCT.

The screen in the room flickered on and ADA’s voice appeared, _“ Incoming call from: Penny Polendina.”_

“Answer,” Clover said. You looked at him and saw that Qrow’s head was resting on his shoulder. You smiled, at least they were back together.

Your smile faded when ADA answered the call and there was static. 

Penny’s voice appeared but it was a distorted voice of her. You could hear the crunch of footsteps in the snow, but they weren't Penny’s.

_“ Sir, I-I Fo-Fo-Found the one who ata-attacked, Y/N. He-He attacked me and I-I am o-o-out in the T-Tundra—”_ She was cut off by static.

_“ Call ended.” ADA announced._

You all looked at each other, eyes wide with concern and fear. “ That doesn't sound good.” You shook your head.

“ ADA, replay the call,” Xanthe said. Every call was recorded. 

The call replayed and you could hear the sound of short circuits, “ I think she's short-circuited.” Xanthe said, “ We need to find her.” 

You all spent the next half hour as you all tried to look for Penny in the Tundra, “ Down there!” You pointed to a spot in the snow and saw the shape of a body, and very similar hair to Penny.

A stretcher lowered down, Clover and Elm on it so they could put Penny on it. “ _Bring it up.”_ You heard Clover say in your earpiece.

You were all in the infirmary, “ The inside of her backpack is also connected to her, but the wires in here are cut.” Xanthe said. Penny was laying on her side so Xanthe could look at her back, her eyes were closed.

“ Is she..?” You couldn't dare to say ‘dead’

She chuckled, “ No, I'll just hook her up to ADA. She needs to reboot.” There was a holographic screen behind the stretcher and it lighted up. Xanthe reached behind it and pulled out a wire then plugged it into Penny.

_“ P.E.N.N.Y. Rebooting,”_ ADA said. 

“ How long will it take?” Qrow asked.

_“ Estimate: an hour.”_

* * *

Cinder closed the back door of a bar that led into an alleyway. She smirked when she saw blood come from under the door. She heard footsteps and she turned her head towards a shadowy corner in the alleyway. 

She sighed, “ Your plan on killing that girl, Y/N, failed. And now Watts and Tyrian are in jail. Do you have anything to say?” Cinder asked as she faced the invisible man in the shadows, fire coming out of her eyes. Well, she wasn't sure if she was facing him, since he was invisible. The man was someone she has been working with recently, he sounded young.

“ Don’t worry.” The man said,“ I attacked that robot, Penny. It's no doubt that when they are on their way back to Atlas, they’ll find the robot in the Tundra.”

Cinder scoffed, “ So?”

“ I put something in Penny, so if they find her, it can go into ADA, something that Y/N has no doubt put into the Airbus’s system. ADA will be controlling the ship, so, what I put in Penny can get into ADA and a little...chaos can rise up. It will give you enough time to get Watts and Tyrian out of jail, and maybe find the Winter Maiden.” He said.

Cinder smirked, “ And what Chaos would that be?”

“ Something that can send the whole Airbus down.”

* * *

“ So, if Penny was attacked by the person who attacked me, then maybe she knows who it was.” You guessed.

“ Maybe,” Kai said from somewhere on the floor. 

Suddenly, the lights in the Airbus turned off and you all looked up. out, “ Uhm, what?” Oscar looked at the now turned off lights.

Then suddenly, the alarm started blaring.

_”Warning. Warning. Warning.”_ You all ran to the medical room Penny was in.

“ ADA!” No response.

“ It must be a power failure.” Qrow said.

“ Or, it's a trap!” Oscar yelled.

James sighed and facepalmed then looked at Oscar, “ You have to stop watching those mystery and crime documentaries.”

You shook your head, “ No, Oscar might be right, the backup generators would have kicked in.”

_” Emergency. Emergency!”_ ADA blurted out.

“ What is it, Ads?” You asked.

_“ I am detecting a foreign presence in my system.”_

“ Foreign?” Xanthe’s brows furred.

_” It appears we are being tracked. I have lost control of the ship.”_

“ How did something get in?” Clover asked.

You all looked at Penny, she was on her side because she had to be fixed from the back. The backpack on her back was opened, and it looked like something came out of it.

“ it is a trap. Something was planted in Penny!” Xanthe gasped, “ They wanted us to find her!”

_” Proximity alarm. Something is approaching the Airbus, very fast.”_

“ Show us on screen.” Elm said.

_” It is, Samurai X.”_

“ Samurai X? What would they be doing here?” You asked, “ They’re the other protector of Mantle.”

“ Maybe he’s here to help?” Oscar shrugged.

_” She. And I am afraid that is very unlikely.”_

“ Why?” Qrow asked.

_” Be-because my s-s-system is overrun.”_

“ ADA, you are making no sense right now.” James slammed his fist onto the stretcher.

_” I'm afraid now may be a time to re-reveal a minor secret.”_

ADA’s voice became distorted, _” I am Samurai X.”_

You all started at the holographic screen ADA was connected to, “ WHAT?!” You all yelled.

“ What?”

“ Are you serious?”

“ How is that possible?”

“ There is no way.”

“ Called it!” Marrow yelled, “ Did not!” Oscar yelled, “ Did too!” He retorted.

There was a loud boom and the Airbus shook. You stumbled and fell into Marrow’s arms. As much as you wanted to stay In his arms, you had to see what that was.

You all looked out the window in the room and there was an explosion, “ She’s aiming for the thrusters!” You yelled.

“ If we lose all three, we’ll go down!” Xanthe said then there was another explosion. Two thrusters left. “ We need to stop her,” Elm said.

“ Xanthe, try to find whatever the foreign presence is!” You called as you grabbed her Sai then headed to the top of the Airbus outside.

Xanthe had two Sai’s that could form into a staff, it was basically like Carmine’s weapon. You only needed one sai, though.

Xanthe started to look around the infirmary. She ignored the loud thud that happened above her. She assumed it was Samurai X- well, ADA- that made the thud.

She heard crawling and turned around, but nothing was there. She hummed in confusion and continued to walk around, she gripped her sai tighter.

There was another sound of crawling but also the sound of metal, she turned to Penny but nothing was there. She stood over Penny, the reboot would have been finished but since ADA was no longer in control, the reboot had to wait.

“ Don’t worry, Penny, We-” She screamed when something was on her face. She grabbed it and it looked like a spider- a gigantic one. It was metal, and it's eyes glowed green, it had class that could pinch you. She held it away from her face but it was somehow stronger than her as it kept trying to pinch a her face.

She was against the wall since it was a small room, and she was struggling to get the spider-or whatever it was- away from her face as it was getting closer.

A sword swept past her and the spider wasn't in her hands anymore, instead, it was through the sword and the sword was pinned into the wall. It's green eyes faded and it short-circuited. 

Xanthe looked at the bed and Penny was sitting up, “ What is happening?” She asked and Xanthe made a sigh of relief. She was about to speak until ADA turned on, “ _Rebooting_.” Penny’s eyes faded as her reboot continued, but Xanthe knew ADA was also rebooting herself.

_“ 30 seconds.”_

Hopefully, you could all last thirty seconds up there.

* * *

“ She was a sword! With electricity!” You yelled in disbelief, as her mech was holding a sword- two swords.

Three thrusters were already down. 

“ _I got rid of the foreign presence. Penny is rebooting and so is ADA, you just need to wait thirty seconds.”_ Xanthe said in your earpiece.

You looked at the Ace-ops, Qrow, James and Kai then nodded. Just thirty seconds, you could do it! You just needed to fight- yet not break- a mech that was taller than all of you and could shoot bullets and rockets.

You heard Oscar scream and you looked to the side, his hand was on the edge. He was hanging on for _life._ It was a thunderstorm and rain was mixed with snow. You could barely see, and if anyone ran, then they would have fallen off the top of the Airbus immediately.

“ Hold on, Oscar!” James didn't run, but walked very fast towards Oscar. The Ace-ops following. 

“ Twenty more seconds!” You yelled over the raging lightning and thunder.

You couldn't use a Sai against a mech made out of steel. It was useless.

“ Ten seconds!”

Oscar was getting pulled back onto the top.

Samurai X threw the sword at you and you jumped out of the way- that was a mistake.

Because the thruster was right behind you.

And it hit it.

It exploded and the Airbus started to shake. Then. It. Started. Falling.

You all screamed, “ I'm too pretty to die! And young!” Oscar screamed and you would have laughed, but you were busy screaming yourself.

Wait.

You looked around.

There was snow. Rain. Thunder. Lightning.

They were all elemental.

You didn't know how to use the maiden powers, but it wasn't too hard, right?

Just try to calm down and focus.

_Focus._

You closed your eyes and stopped screaming, ignoring all of the other screams that happened. Soon, the screams all faded and all you could hear was the heavy thuds of the rain hitting the top of the Airbus, but it soon slowed, and so did the falling.

Holy shit, it was working.

You opened your eyes and the rain was moving slowly, it was pushing the Airbus towards Atlas.

“ I see Atlas!” You yelled and pointed to a gigantic floating rock with dimmed lights on it. The Bus was still falling though, but not as fast. 

The more you got closer and closer to Atlas, the more the bus started getting closer to the ground.

You all climbed the ladder down and went back into the Airbus, “ BRACE YOURSELVES!” James yelled.

The bus started to shake and your head hit the wall hard. Everyone else was flying around the room and screaming as you all crashed into the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I got the ending from Ninjago


	55. A trip down memory lane.

The man in the shadows scroll beeped. The scroll floated but Cinder knew the man was holding it. She had wondered why the man always used his invisibility semblance. Did his aura ever run out?

Oh, right, he _stole_ auras and semblances. 

She could hear the smirk in his voice, “ The Airbus went down.”

She smirked but sighed, “ I need to find that Maiden, but those kids would be protecting her.” She scoffed, “ Stupid kids and their misguided attempt at ‘saving the world’.” She said the last few words in a babyish voice

He gave an annoyed sigh, “ I can see reason. We aren’t even sure if they died in the crash.”

She let out an annoyed groan.

“ Don’t worry. You’ll find her.” He came out of the shadows and his semblance wore off. He was a young man wearing a white fang mask. She couldn't tell, but he seemed to have a tail, “ I won't rest until those kids are _dead.”_ He snarled.

“ Ruby is _mine.”_ She growled.

“ Don't worry, I'll just toy with her if I can get her. I mostly just want Oscar and Y/N.”

“ Oscar?” Cinder asked.

“ Ozpin.” He simply answered and she hummed in understanding.

“ From what Y/N told me, he can use magic, and he will be a dent in our plan. He needs to go, and I want Y/N dead too. I killed Sienna with Adam so he could become the leader, but Y/N took that _away_ from him. Then her stupid friends killed him.” He scoffed and shook his head.

“ Weren't you friends with her?” She asked.

“ Never really was. All of my attempts at killing her when she was in the White Fang failed. “

So this was someone you've known for years.

* * *

“ Is everyone okay?” James asked once the Airbus stopped crashing and none of you were flying around the damn room.

“ I’m fine.” You brushed any dust off your clothes.

“ What has happened?” Penny came out of the infirmary that was somehow not damaged.

“ A crash.” You walked outside of the Airbus and winced at the results of the crash at the front.

“ I’ll call Winter.” James pulled out his scroll.

You shivered, “ It’s freezing!” Well, it was snowing. Since you were all further in the Tundra now, the rain stopped and it was replaced with cold droplets of snow.

Marrow rolled his eyes, “You’re wearing a shirt that shows your stomach, has no sleeves and is hella revealing. And we’re in the Tundra. And it's snowing.” You glared at him. But he had a point.

“ I’ll keep you warm.” His arms wrapped around you from behind and you leaned into the touch.

“ You are such a nice heat warmer.” You said and he snickered.

“ It was weird.” 

You tilted your head to look up at him, “ What was weird?” You asked.

“ Well, the Airbus falling somehow slowed, and so did the rain.” 

You gave a nervous chuckle, “ I guess we have luck on our side?” You shrugged.

He chuckled, “ Literally.” You followed his gaze to Clover.

You saw Penny who was happy as usual, but she was frowning.

“ I’ll be right back.” You told Marrow and he nodded.

“ Penny..” You walked up to her.

She saluted, “ Salutations, Y/N! It is such a pleasure to see you again! Where have you been these past few weeks?” She tilted her head in curiosity. You smiled, “ Hi, Penny. And I was uhm...busy. “ What a great way of saying you’ve been in a desert for the last week.

“ Penny, do you know who attacked you?’ You asked.

She frowned then tilted her head as she tried to think, “ I do not know. The last thing I can remember is being out in the Tundra, and then I woke up in the Airbus!” How could she make bad news sound so happy? Well, that’s Penny for ya.

Qrow walked up to you two, ‘ Salutations, Uncle Qrow!” You both blinked at Penny.

She saw how the expression on Qrow’s face quickly changed and she frowned,“ Is it fine if I call you that?” She asked.

Qrow’s mouth was hanging open and he was blinking rapidly, “ Uh-Uhm, yea, sure kiddo.” 

She beamed with glee.

James watched from afar. He was startled when Clover’s voice appeared, “ Sir?”

“ We’re off the clock, Clover.” Sort of.

Clover chuckled, “ James, is Winter on her way here?” 

James nodded, “ Yea, she just needs to find someone to watch over the kids. And then the call ended with her yelling for Maria.” Maria was NOT a good choice if she were to watch teenagers. 

Clover’s gaze followed to where James’s were lingering, “ Are you gonna ask her to be an Ace-op?”

James sighed, “ She’s had a rough week- well, weeks- so not now.” 

You walked over to Xanthe, “ Whatever was in her, might have done something to her memory.” You said. Xanthe hummed and shook her head, “ It was a trap. The person who attacked Penny- and to what she said, your attacker too- needed an excuse for us to go down. They knew we would find Penny, so they made sure she couldn't remember your assailant.” 

“ Is there any way we can bring her memory back?” Vine walked up to you two. She nodded, “ I’ll just need some help from Pietro, but it would take a few days.”

Great.

You walked over to the mech- well, ADA. You opened the latch inside, “ So, how does this work?” You asked. 

_“ Dr. Will Scarlatina had built my mech when I was first made. “_

“ So, you can control yourself? Like you're basically a person.”

_“ I do not have a human body. But yes.”_

You hummed and flinched when the mech started to move. Wow, it was a lot bigger when you were a few inches away from it.

It wasn't until a few minutes later- after being held into Marrow’s warm embrace, yet still getting hypothermia- Winter came. 

Her arms were crossed and she had an unamused look. She rolled her eyes, “ Three weeks.” Her voice was cold and harsh and it made you flinch. She glared at Qrow, “ Four and a half days.” Qrow flinched.

“ WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?” She ran up to you and hugged you tight, “ I don't think you understand how much I've missed you! Gods I have been so scared. I thought you died! Where have you been- Actually, I don't care, just never do that again! “ She was a big softie.

You hugged her back, “ I'm sorry for leaving. I promise I won't do it again.” 

She broke the hug and walked over to Qrow but didn't put her arms out, hesitated, and then just put her hand out and they fist-bumped.

“ That's the first I've ever seen Winter touch Qrow. And she's not fighting him.” You widened your eyes in disbelief.

“ It's almost scary,” Oscar whispered and Elm snorted.

* * *

“ What the fuck.” Clover didn't even call you out on your language. 

All of the kids had their eyes wide and they were huddling together, shaking, and a bunch of blankets were draped across all of them. 

You tilted your head to look at a smirking Maria. She smiled, “ Ah, your back! How was Vacuo?” 

You didn't even answer the question and Winter spoke up before you could even ask Maria what she did, “ I told you to look after them!”

“ I did!” Maria laughed, “ They wanted to watch a horror movie so I let them!”

Qrow groaned, “ And what horror movie?”

“Veronica!”

You all groaned.

“ You guys-” You called but then Weiss threw a pillow at you.

“ Don’t scare us like that!” She yelled.

“ Hey, Y/N!” Nora yelled then turned back to the TV. You facepalmed.

They all screamed, “ WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!” Elm yelled as she now walked to the couch in the common room to sit beside the kids.

“ IT’S A DEMON OR SOMETHING!” Ruby shrieked and she was peeking through her fingers. 

Now you all started to watch the movie. Even James and Winter had stayed to watch, but Kai went back home, and Xanthe and Penny went down to Pietro’s pharmacy to see if they could see what was wrong with Penny. The movie paused when they started to ask you questions on where you've been and you happily answered. You told them about Team CFVY and SSSN. And the attack on Shade.

“ At least now we know they aren't dead,” Blake commented and everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

You all continued to watch the movie, then it ended up with watching another horror movie, yet it was past one am.

‘As above, so below’ you all chose for the second movie. It was about the catacombs of Sanus that led into Vale- and their own personal hell.

“ Don't they have a map? How the hell did they get lost?” Yang asked.

The first murder happened.

“ OH, MY GODS!” Jaune screamed and clung to Weiss. 

When the movie ended you were all clinging to each other and shaking. The movie ended with only three people escaping.

Everyone ended up falling asleep, but when you looked around the room, Oscar was nowhere to be seen. He was clinging to James and hiding behind him during the movie- which was so fucking cute and you wish you took a photo of it. He had left thirty minutes before the movie ended because he needed to use the bathroom.

Even though you were tired because it was two am, you lit up a candle because the lights were off in the academy halls, and started to walk around.

About ten minutes later, you realized it was stupid to look around a gigantic academy when you could have just asked a man inside Oscar’s head.

Thank the gods that you could talk to him telepathically.

_“ Professor?”_

He responded, so it meant Oscar was awake, “ _Yes?”_

_“ Do you know where Oscar is?”_ You asked.

_“ On the roof.”_

_Why the hell would be on the roof._

“ _I don't know, he's not responding.”_

Maybe you didn't think that quietly.

You licked your fingers then pinched the light of the fire on the candle and it hissed.

It took maybe ten minutes to get to the roof, because one- you had to put the candle back in the common room, two- you put a blanket over everyone sleeping in the room, and three- the way to the roof was on the other side of the academy.

You got up to the roof and saw Oscar with his knees pulled up to his chest. The Aurora shined throughout the windows of the academy. It was beautiful. The stars shined bright.

He flinched when you put your arm around his shoulders and sat beside them, “ Hey.” He whispered but he wouldn't meet your eyes.

“ What's going on?” You asked but he didn't answer, and kept staring at the aurora in the sky above you both.

After a few minutes of silence, he spoke, “ Why’d you leave?”

“ I- What do you mean?” You asked.

“ I mean, if you really believed that General Ironwood was your assailant, then why would you leave us here? 

Oh, so that’s why he was giving you the silent treatment. He thought you didn’t think of him anymore.

You sighed, “ I...I think I knew deep inside, that James wasn’t my assailant. I was...I was just scared.” You admitted. He finally looked you in the eyes.

“ James and I had a talk. He told me that if I didn't take my medication, he would take away my visitation rights. And I felt my whole world stop. Without my visitation rights, I wouldn’t see you or anyone else anymore, so I told him I’d take the medication. It wasn’t until Willow came, that I thought he was my assailant. So, she helped me escape. Oscar, I couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing you or anyone else, and I would have stayed in the hospital if the idea of James being my assailant hadn’t come into my head.” 

You brought him closer, “ Oscar, I don’t think you understood how much I missed you. But, after me jumping off the roof of a hospital, I needed some time to recover, just not in that damn hospital, the staff were horrible.” He snorted and rested his head on your shoulder. 

You gave his shoulder a squeeze, “ Oscar, if I truly thought he was my assailant, then I would have immediately come to the Academy and got you all out, and if he tried to hurt any of you, I would have killed him. Not joking.” He giggled and you smiled.

“Thank you.” he mumbled into your shoulder. “ For what?” You asked.

“ For being there for me.”

You rested your head on his, “ I would never leave you, just like I would never leave any of the others. You know I love you.” You felt his smile.  
  


 _“ Thank you.”_ Ozpin said and you smiled.

It was just silence for the next few minutes. You lifted your head to reveal the stars in your sight. They shined bright and they were like snowflakes, almost as a choreographed blizzard. You smiled as the wind let some of your hair loose, yet also shivered, remembering that you haven’t even changed. Thank the gods that no one had noticed the wrapping bandage-which you should take off soon- since the blanket was covering it. 

“ Come on.” You started to stand up, “ Let’s go back.” he grumbled but stood up beside you.

When you both started walking for the roof doors, he spoke, “ Y/N, Oz needs to talk to you.” You turned to him, “ Alright.” You waited for his eyes to glow but nothing happened. He rubbed the back of his neck, “ Uh, he told me he will when he falls asleep.” 

Your brows furrowed in confusion but you were too tired to even ask, so you nodded and continued to walk to the door.

When you both got back to the common room, everyone was still asleep. You weren’t surprised though. You sighed and it ended with a low groan. You walked to the kitchen In the dorm room and grabbed a pot and pan, Oscar gave you a questioning face but then nodded and covered his ears.

“ WAKE THE FUCK UP!” You started banging the pot and pan and everyone screamed as they woke up.

Jaune groaned, “ Whyyyyyy.” He moaned out.

You rolled your eyes, “ You're all gonna have horrible back problems if you sleep like this.” Literally, some of them were on the floor and some were in uncomfortable positions on the couch. Yang was the only one in a comfortable position, with Blake’s head in her lap- well, that was before you woke them up, though. 

Everyone grumbled but still got up, tiredly. Everyone wished each other goodnight as they went to their rooms.

* * *

You unwrapped the bandage and changed into your Pajamas- a white tank top and black dolphin shorts. You turned off the lights and flopped onto the bed, pulling the covers over your cold body.

Then, suddenly, you felt arms wrap around your waist from behind, it was a familiar feeling. “ Marrow?” You asked and you felt the person behind you nod.

“ What are you doing here?” Not that you were complaining.

He sighed, “ When the Airbus started to fall, I thought I was gonna lose you...again. I just want to hold you.”

You smiled, “ Alright.”

A beat passed.

“ This is probably because you don’t want nightmares too, isn’t it?”

“ ..Yea.”

Marrow was always the one to get nightmares after a horror movie. 

He placed a kiss on your shoulder and started kissing up your neck, “ We can go on our date tomorrow. Since Mantle is doing better, there is a fair tomorrow, and I thought I could take you.” 

You turned around and rested your head on his-shirtless- chest, “ I’d love that.”

He was about to reply until your scroll beeped. Who would message you this late? You reached for the night table and went to your messages, Marrow looking. 

_Xanthe: Took Penny down to Pietro’s, and he did some stuff._

_Xanthe: Penny is currently rebooting, but it’s a manual reboot, and she won’t wake up for about a day. We’ll find out who your assailant is tomorrow night._

_Y/N: Aight._

Just one more day...and you’d find out who your attacker was. Would seeing them make you remember everything? 

“ Hey.” You tilted your head and Marrow placed a kiss on your forehead, “ It’s gonna be okay.”

“ I hope so.” You moved up a little more and snuggled into the crook of his neck. 

“ We’ll put them in jail, and they won’t be leaving for a long time. “ He felt your smile against his skin.

“ Yeah.” you breathed out, “ Good night, Marrow.” 

“ Good night.” 

You closed your eyes.

* * *

When you opened your eyes, you were in a rather spacious apartment, silver and green was what caught your eyes. You opened your eyes a little more, you were on a couch, “ What..?” You breathed out. Someone- a familiar voice- cleared their throat.

You looked up and sitting on the other side of the couch, was Professor Ozpin.

“ What the fuck.”

He smiled, “ It’s good to see you, Y/N.”

“ Professor?” You asked in disbelief. He nodded, “ What am I doing here?” You asked, “ Actually, where am I? Why am I here? How is this happening?”

He chuckled, “ It’s rather hard to explain, but think of it as being in your own mindset. When you fall asleep, I can tend to visit you or anyone else. “

You nodded your head slowly, “ ...Right.”

“ To answer where you are. This used to be my place, I chose this apartment because it used to be my room when I was Ozpin. “ Well, it certainly did seem like his type of place.

“ And to answer what you're doing here. We need to talk.” He straightened his back, “ About the Summer Maiden.”

Oh, fuck.

“ What about her?” You tried your best to stay calm.

“ When you say “her”, I think you mean _you_.” Yea, he knows. Fuck.

You looked down, “ Professor-“

“ Why are you hiding this from everyone?” 

You looked up, both of your faces serious, “ Yea, if I told everyone, then everyone would know I killed the Summer Maiden because she’s been missing for years.” Your voice was harsh and you felt bad for raising it a little, but there was no change to his face.

His face softened and he sighed, “ I suppose I understand. I do not blame you for killing the Summer Maiden, I rather see it as you made the right choice, she could have done horrible things with those powers. As to what I’ve heard from Rumpole and Theodore.” He shrugged and stood up.

“ Does Oscar know?” You asked.

He shook his head, “ No, I didn’t tell him. It’s your choice if you want too.”

He started rummaging through books on his bookshelf. “ I...I don’t think I can fight again. Being the Summer Maiden took...everything from me. None of this is my aura.” You looked down at your hands, ashamed, “ The one thing I loved, being a huntress, is gone. I don’t think I can even touch Hush.”

“ I know.” You looked at Ozpin, surprised by his words, “ From what I saw on the Airbus back in Vacuo and on the way back to Atlas, you couldn’t even touch your weapon.” 

You ignored what he said, “ What are you doing?” You asked, as he kept rummaging through books. He wouldn’t just read during a time like this, right? 

He didn’t answer, and kept murmuring words, “ No. no. _Definitely_ not this one. Nope. Not this one. No. Ugh, where is it? No. No. No. Ah!” he pulled out a book, which for some reason had your emblem on it.

He sat down beside you, “ I want to show you something.” He opened the book and you were both drawn in. Literally.

* * *

You were in a interrogation room. It sent shivers down your spine on how familiar it was. 

Wait..

You looked at Ozpin who was leaning on his cane, “ I suggest you listen.”

A girl walked in wearing a White Fang mask- it was you.

_What._

_“ Y/N L/N.” Ozpin walked into the room, holding his usual mug of hot chocolate. It confused you on why he didn’t call the police. Your mask had two pairs of eye slits, two small horns, and had red markings similar to Adam’s mask, just this one covered more of your face. It only covered more of your face for people to think you were a type of Faunus, like a chameleon. Though, he probably knew you were a human already._

_You took off your mask and put it onto the table in the room._

_“ Uh...hi?” You responded and Ozpin chuckled._

_“ Why is a girl like you wearing a White Fang mask and stealing from a few stores?” He asked and sat on the chair on the other side of the table. You didn’t talk, nor did you even open your mouth after he asked that.” And don't think I didn't see you running away from a building on fire.”_

_He hummed, “ You're quite the quiet one.”_

_He looked into your eyes, “ And a fierce one.” He smiled, “ Would you like to come to my school?”_

_“ W-what?!” You blurted out._

_“ Would you like to come to my school?” He asked again._

_“ I-you don’t even know me.”_

_He frowned, “ I see a girl who has spent her whole life fighting for the truth, even if it would hurt you. And I can see that you fight for something that is right. I also see that you have potential. You are a strong individual. My school accepts any, Faunus, human, rich, or poor. So, I am asking you, if you would like to come to my school, because I believe you would make a great addition.”_

_You looked down. After a few moments of silence, you brought your head up, “ I accept.”_

Ozpin heard you sniff and he turned his head to you. You were crying, “ Y/N, are you okay?” But when you turned your head, you were smiling.

“ Do you keep these?” You wiped a tear rolling down your cheek.

“ Of course I do. I have a lot of memories between you and me in books that I tend to look at at times.” 

You hugged him.

He was surprised, but he hugged you back.

And with a snap of his fingers, you were back in the apartment room.

You didn’t know why you cried, but it was nice, to just have someone to care for you and keep even the smallest memories.

“ I told you years ago, that you have potential and you are a strong person. I believe you can be a wonderful Summer Maiden, and I can even train you to use the powers. Though, I think you know how to use some of it, if I recall what you did with the rain.” He smiled.

You looked down, you were about to speak until he did again, “ And, the powers can...in a way, upgrade your semblance.” You looked at him and widened your eyes mildly. He nodded, “ It can. I can train you on how to use most of the power, but that would be if you were to tell Oscar or the others of your new power.”

You were about to respond, but then when you closed your eyes, you were back in your room.

You sighed, “ Damnit.” 

“ What’s wrong?” You flinched at the sudden voice but then remembered Marrow was here.

You smiled, just happy for him to be here, “ Nothing.”

And he held you in his embrace, cuddling. 

It was such a warm yet weird feeling in your stomach, but definitely something you’ve felt before. You were happy, that even after going to Beacon just to learn how to kill him, you were both finally together, and happy at that.

He held you as if when he let go, you would disappear forever. He smiled just to think this all started by the White Fang. He placed a kiss on your shoulder. No words could express how much he loved you. 

  
  



	56. Date night.

It was date night! Well, it would have been night if you and Marrow hadn’t gone during the day. You only did because you were all meeting Harriet at her mom's house in Atlas later.

Clover and Qrow had decided to even come, but it wasn’t a double date, since they had gone on their own.

“ Marrow! Marrow!” You beamed when you saw a cotton candy stand, “ Can we get some?!” 

He chuckled, “ You're acting as if you’ve never had Cotton candy.”

You pulled him forward, “ Come on! We have to get some Cotton candy. Oh! Then we can do the bumper cars and get those caramel apple things or whatever!”

He laughed, “ Alright alright calm down!” He smiled, “ We’ll do all of that.” 

He took a hold of your hands and kissed you. You playfully pushed him, “ Cotton candy!” You grabbed a hold of his arm and pulled him towards the stand.

“ You're gonna rip my arm off!” He laughed...but then remembered Yang, “ I take that back!”

You both got to the stand then got some cotton candy, and doing a bunch of stupid shit with it.

“ You like my moustache?” You turned your head to Marrow and he had a piece of cotton candy on his upper lip. You giggled, “ No.”

He pouted and you smirked, “ You look way more handsome without it.” You booped him on the nose and he practically beamed when you said that.

“ I love this more than anything in the world.” You said as you put a piece in your mouth.

Marrow made a dramatic gasp, “ More than anything, huh? So you don’t love me?” He frowned and he was trying his best not to smile.

You looked at him with the most dramatic expression. You smirked and captured his adorable frown-that was forming into a smile- into a kiss.

“ Alright, alright, knock it off.” You both parted lips when you heard Qrow. You turned your head and Qrow and Clover were walking towards you both, “ Harriet says to be there in two hours. So we’ll meet you at the parking lot at seven, all right?” Clover asked and you both nodded. 

They both got cotton candy and started to walk away, “ Wait!” You called and they both stopped in their tracks then turned around, “ Bumper cars?” You smirked.

They both looked at each other and they kept switching expressions, and you tried to understand what they were trying to say.

Qrow raised an eyebrow, _“ Should we?”_

Clover placed a finger on his chin, _“ Hmm, yea I think we should.”_

“ What are they doing?” Marrow whispered. “ Some sort of wordless conversation.” You whispered back.

“ Sure.” Qrow shrugged and you jumped with glee. Yea, it was not a good idea for you to have cotton candy, or else you would have had a sugar rush. 

You all spent the next 10 minutes doing the bumper cars. You mostly went for Marrow the whole time. Qrow even kept going for Clover.

When you were finished, Clover was hunched over a trash can and puking in it. Yea, he shouldn’t have had cotton candy right before doing the bumper cars. You didn’t feel good either, but you didn’t have that much cotton candy, other than Clover who had more of a sweet tooth than you. Qrow was rubbing his back as he kept puking.

“ You alright?” Qrow asked once Clover wasn’t puking anymore. “ Y-Yea.” He breathed out, “ but that was so fun!”

Qrow and Clover then left to do whatever they wanted to do in the fairgrounds.

Marrow breathed out a laugh, “ Did you even go for anyone else?” 

“ Nope!” 

He giggled, “ Why do I put up with you.”

“ Because you loooooooooove me.” You gave him a peck on the cheek.

You both walked around the fairgrounds for the next few minutes. Kids would run past you giggling and laughing, some holding cotton candy or plushies they won. 

Marrow had won you an adorable pig plushie. You loved it! “ Thank you!” You pulled him into a bear hug. It was a warm hug, because you were fucking freezing. You still haven’t thought of any new clothes other than your Vacuo ones, but Marrow could keep you warm all the time, so you weren’t complaining. 

_Gods you're so beautiful, I really love you._ He thought.

You blushed, “Marrow- I-Agh!” Perhaps he hadn’t thought that. You leaned into his shoulder, “ It’s true though!” He giggled and placed a kiss on your temple. You screamed into his shoulder.

A flurry of colours caught Marrow’s eyes and he turned his head a little.

A Ferris wheel.

He grabbed a hold of your hands, “ Shouldn’t we be heading to the parking lot?” You asked. It was pretty close to 7 pm.

He whined, “ Please?” He used his puppy dog eyes. You rolled your eyes, “ Fine.” You smiled.

It wasn’t a long line, so you were both able to get on 5 minutes before 7. Hopefully Clover and Qrow wouldn’t be too mad if you were both late. Qrow wouldn’t mind much, but Clover was a sucker for punctuality.

You looked at the view that the ride had offered. In Atlas, it got dark at 6:30, it wasn’t like Vacuo where it got dark at a later time. the stars above glowed large like street-lamps. The aurora was flowing over the sky in brilliant waves. The moon graced the sky as if it had a bright idea.

Just when the car of the Ferris wheel had reached the top, a bunch of fireworks had gone off and everyone down below had started cheering. This fair must have been a usual event that happened in Mantle a lot. 

The colours of the fireworks just warmed you, even in Atlas’s cold. Or perhaps it was just you leaning into Marrow’s side that kept you warm.

The fireworks were like rainbows in the dark, they were pure light. You felt his hand on your chin and he tilted your head and kissed you deeply. Once you parted, he asked, “ How come you didn’t bring your weapon?” You had Xanthe’s Sai attached to your belt, “ I just didn’t see bring it being necessary.” He wanted to question more, but just shrugged.

“ This is the best date I’ve ever been on.” You mumbled.

“ Oh?” Marrow quirked an eyebrow up, “ What about the time I took you skating on your fifteenth birthday?” 

“ Ehh, everyone else was there.” 

He rolled his eyes and you playfully pushed him, “ You have to admit, though! This is the best date.”

He gave a defeated sigh, “ Yea.”

You giggled but it quickly turned into a yelp, “ What is it?” Marrow asked, concern in his voice. Your eyes were wide but you calmed down, “ Your uh, your hand brushed at my side and you know I’m ticklish!” Such a great excuse.

He giggled, “Oh yea.” 

You glared at the ghost of Adam who was sitting on the other side, “ You guys are so cute together.” He cooed, you couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic, but he seemed legitimate. 

“ Good to see you too.” You whispered, quiet enough only for Adam to hear, but you had to scoot away from Marrow, which he was confused by yet didn’t question it.

“ Do you follow me everywhere?” You whispered and Adam nodded, “ I’m your ghost, either I choose Blake or you, and I chose you.”

“ Great, I'm haunted.”

“Never thought I’d go to Vacuo again, but then you went. You're even the summer maiden!” He put his hands on the back of his head and crossed his legs. You sighed and went back to looking at the sky.

“ I just wanted to wish you luck.” You looked back at him, his face was serious but there was fear in his eyes. “ For what?” You asked.

“ You're gonna find out who your assailant is tonight.” If he was your damn ghost, then why couldn’t he just tell you who?

“ Right.” You tried your best to forget about it, and just have a nice night with Marrow then go see Harriet after 3 and a half weeks.

You blinked and he was gone, and it was also right when you reached the bottom of the Ferris wheel.

You and Marrow both walked out, hand in hand, and you both made it to the parking lot right in time. Clover nodded his head then you both followed him and Qrow to the civilian transport up to Atlas, one that led to a certain street. 

“ The others should be there already.” Clover noted and you all nodded.

* * *

It was a ridiculously large fucking house. Well, you couldn’t say that actually, since your house was a fucking ridiculously large ass mansion. “ Harriet’s mom must be rich.” You said and everyone nodded their heads in agreement. You, the ace-ops and Qrow were all standing by the front. Winter would have come, but she was busy.

You knocked and a few seconds later, a woman who was hella familiar but looked like a snobby Atlesian answered the door. Harriet.

Her hair was the same, kinda, it was just combed. but her outfit was not the same. She wore a black tube top and dark green belted shorts. She had makeup on and hoop earrings. At least she wasn’t wearing a dress, because then you would have thought she was brainwashed.

All of your eyes were widened mildly.

“ Hey guys!” She said cheerfully. Okay, you were starting to think she was brainwashed. She looked at you and gasped, “ Oh my gosh, Y/N, it’s so good to see you!” She has never had “Oh my gosh” in her entire life. She hugged you.

Now everyone’s eyes were wide in disbelief. “ What the fuck.” Qrow’s mouth was hanging opened, Clover elbowed him in the ribs. She broke the hug, “ Come on in!”

The house had plain white walls but a lot of personal stuff. There were photos and portraits of 4 people, a woman that had the same similarities to Harriet- only by hair and eyes. There was a man with brown hair and golden eyes, and 2 little kids who seemed to be around age 9. They looked more like the man. You assumed it was Harriet’s mom and her family.

There was another portrait, it was the same one but Harriet was in it.

When you walked into the-ridiculously- large living room, there were 2 girls, who looked like snobby rich atlesians. “ I hope you guys don’t mind, but my friends came!” Harriet said. One of the girls had brown hair, a bit of it was in a bun and the rest flowed down, the other had blonde hair in a Tousled Lob Haircut. 

The girl with brown hair turned around, she was sharpening her nails and the blonde girl was chewing on gum, “ Oh em gee, It’s so nice to meet you! Hare Hare has told us so much about you.”

Fuck.

Valley girls.

Atlesian Valley Girls.

That fucking explains why Harriet was acting this way.

The blonde girl squealed, “ Oh em gee! I’m Brittanee with two e’s and that’s Bethani with an I.”

You, Qrow and Elm bursted out with laughter, “ I-“ Elm tried to speak but she kept laughing, “ Hare Hare?”

“ Yea! It’s our nickname for her.” Brittanee said and Elm kept laughing. Clover held back his laugh and Vine’s face was normal but he was grinning and his mouth opened at times to let out a few giggles but he quickly covered it. Marrow was just wide-eyed. 

“ So what have you guys been up to?” Harriet asked as you all finally calmed down and sat up on the couch. 

You told her about going to Vacuo, your date with Marrow, and just small things. But that was it.

“ You went to Vacuo?” Bethani scoffed, “ I could never go to a wasteland.”

“ Well, surprisingly, it’s a nice place for when you just wanna settle down.” You said and Elm nodded her head in agreement.

“ So tell us about your mom.” Clover looked at Harriet.

“ Well, she’s a writer, and she’s actually In the house, but she just stays in her room on the third floor and locks it so no one can come in. She’s really nice.” Harriet responded.

“ So where are you all from?” Brittanee asked, the sound of her chewing gum really annoyed you.

“ Atlas.” The Ace-ops answered in unison, except Marrow, “ A settlement in Anima.” He said. “ Same here.” Qrow said and nodded at Marrow. 

“ Vale.” You answered, “ But I was never there much, other than staying at Beacon.”

Both of the girls were about to say something, but the doorbell rang, “ Foods here! Bethani, Brittanee, can you guys get the drinks?” Harriet asked as she headed for the door. The two girls nodded then went to the **_ridiculously_ ** large kitchen. ****

The 2 girls came back with drinks- alcohol to be exact- wine and whiskey. Qrow tensed up and you glared at the girls. Harriet should have known not to bring out alcohol if Qrow was a recovering addict. None of the Ace-ops ever drank in front of Qrow.

The girls put down the bottles of whiskey and wine on the table in the living room and Harriet came back with the food.

“ Sooo what's this?” You asked once the food was on plates.

“ It’s fish.” Brittanee said and squinted at you.

“ Have you never had fish, or tuna?” Bethani asked.

“..No.” You admitted.

“ What kind of tuna?” Qrow asked.

“ It’s raw.” Bethani said and you and Qrow gagged.

Harriet let out a frustrated sigh, “ Do you guys mind getting water for Qrow?” Harriet asked and the girls walked back to the kitchen.

Harriet slammed her hands on the table and you all flinched, “ Can you all at least _try_ to act professional?” She hissed.

“ We are being professional.” You crossed your arms as she was getting on your nerves.

She rolled her eyes, “ Whatever. Just try to be nice.”

“ You know Qrow is a recovering addict yet you still got alcohol.” Clover noted.

“ Well then he should try his best to stay calm.” You couldn’t fucking believe her right now.

Someone started screaming from the kitchen and you all ran to it.

Bethani’s pants were on fire, “ OH MY GOSH PUT IT OUT!” She screamed. You smiled but you had to do something, so you looked to the right and there was a fire extinguisher, you grabbed it and put the fire out.

She shrieked and you turned it off, “ WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR?” You couldn’t believe it.

You breathed out a laugh, “ I just saved you from burning alive!”

“ More like you ruined my clothes!”

You looked at the Ace-ops who were looking at the extinguisher, they looked back at you and you understood the message. You turned on the extinguisher by pulling the pin and aimed it at her. She screamed and you just kept aiming it at her as the foam came out of it.

“ OKAY OKAY!” Harriet snatched the fire extinguisher out of your hands and you smirked. Qrow was laughing and Elm had tears in her eyes as she kept laughing.

“ So not funny!” Brittanee glared at you.

“ This is something that usually happens in an Ace-ops life.” Clover said and smirked.

Bethani scoffed then looked at Harriet, “ This is why you should accept your mom's offer on staying here.”

You all looked at Harriet wide-eyed, “ What?” Clover asked and Harriet tensed up.

“ Your staying here?” Elm asked.

Harriet put her hands out, “ No! I mean yes- well, maybe! Listen, she just pulled the offer on me, so I don’t know yet!” 

“ She’s staying.” Brittanee said, “ I mean what else does she have to go back to?”

“ Being an Operative! A Huntress! Her friends!” Clover exclaimed.

“ What happened to wanting to ‘stay a Huntress’?” You asked.

“ We’ll talk about this later.” She said and took a sip from her glass of wine.

You took a sip from your drink- which was water- as everyone engaged in their own side conversations. You stood beside Harriet, “ Any ideas on what we should do?” You asked.

Harriet hummed,” We can check out the basement.”

“ Basement?” You tilted your head to look at her.

“ Yea, when my mom bought this house, she kept telling her kids that the basement was haunted.”

“ Oh. em. gee.” Brittanee said from behind you both, chewing her gum, “ Let’s go check it out. It can definitely get us scared.” 

Qrow scoffed, “ I don’t get scared.” 

Now everyone was listening in.

Harriet sighed, “ Alright.” You put your cup down on the table and everyone proceeded to walk to the basement door. 

When you got onto the first steps of the stairs, the thunderstruck and the lights went out. Everyone screamed except Qrow. Qrow pulled out his scroll and the light illuminated throughout the dark room.

You all walked down the steps and you felt your bare feet on something cold and hard, it must have been the floor. You turned your scroll to the right and-

“ AAAAH” Everyone screamed except Qrow as his flashlight showed a bear towering over you all.

Qrow sighed, “ Calm down, it’s just a stuffed bear.” Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. He turned his scroll to the left and-

“ AAAAH” Everyone screamed.

“ It’s just another stuffed bear!”

” How did you not get scared by that?” Clover asked.

” What’s scary is how much I wanna kill myself right now.” You said and glared at the two girls.

You all roamed around the basement but there was nothing, other than a ouija board you all grabbed to use later. Harriet went to go find a generator to get the lights on.

What Qrow said had remained in your head. So, he didn’t get scared of anything huh? He never even screamed or flinched during horror movies. You were gonna have to fix that. You pulled out your scroll and dialed a number. They answered and you smirked, “ Hey, I need some help.”

* * *

When Harriet got the lights on, 30 minutes later, they turned off again, “ What?” Harriet breathed out. No thunder or lightning struck, so why did it go out? There wasn’t much wind because the storm had calmed down.

Harriet groaned, “ I’ll go check the generator.” But when she reached for her scroll because she needed light, her scroll wasn’t in her pocket. And when she tried opening the door to the next room, the door was locked.

“ Can I borrow one of your scrolls?” Harriet asked as she turned around to look at her friends. “ Sure.” Clover said, but when he reached for his scroll, it was gone. “ Uh, what?”

“ Mine’s gone.” Britannee said.

“ Same here.” Marrow said.

“ Who took our scrolls?” Qrow asked.

“ Y/N, do you have yours?” Elm asked but there was no response, she started to look around, “ Y/N?” You weren’t there.

“ Y/N!” Marrow called then noticed Vine was gone, “ Vine?!”

There was a shrill scream and it was a recognizable voice, “ Y/N!” Marrow called again.

“ What’s going on?!” Qrow started shaking when he heard Vine scream. They all jumped up and started walking away from a door where the screams were coming from.   
  


There was the sound of a chainsaw and maniacal laughter.

“ WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!” Bethani screamed. Everyone reached for their weapons- but their weapons were gone?!

The door they were all backing away from was kicked opened, and there was a sloshing noise that seemed like water. The person was small, and they weren’t sure, but they were sure they saw blood. “ Your next.” They breathed out then turned on the chainsaw and ran towards them.

Everyone screamed. EVERYONE. Even Qrow.

The person stopped running at them and then started laughing. Qrow recognized that laugh. Then more people joined in on the laughter. Everyone flinched as the light turned on and it was Maria wearing a mask with a chainsaw in her hands, you and Vine behind her and laughing.

“ WHAT THE FUCK YOU TWO?” Clover screamed and you laughed even more.

“ You should have seen your faces!” Vine pointed at all of them and laughed even more. You were surprised he was laughing his head off. Vine usually had a neutral face and didn’t make many reactions.

When you called Maria asking for help on scaring Qrow, she happily accepted. Vine had overheard the call and offered to help. He left the house and somehow, no one noticed. He bought the mask and fake chainsaw, he did get some weird looks from people when he was carrying them. When he came back, Maria was already outside of the house. You distracted everyone with an episode of a show. When Maria and Vine got to the house, you quickly went to the front door and opened it. Vine turned off the generator then quickly left the room and locked all of the doors. Then you and him left the room and into a bathroom, where Maria was waiting the entire time.

“ Qrow said he never got scared, so I had to scare him!” You pulled out your scroll and replayed the video of screaming, you could hear Qrow screaming loudly over everyone else’s scream.

“ I hate you.” Qrow deadpanned at you both.

Maria left after you paid her 50 lien.

The next few minutes went by and you were starting to really hate these girls. Bethani would say shit about Faunus and each time you tempted to grab the fire extinguisher, Harriet would slap your hand. 

Somehow the Atlesian valley girls were still having fun. You sighed, “ How do we make this not fun?” You whispered to the Ace-ops while Harriet, Britannee and Bethani engaged into their own private conversation. Qrow’s eyes lit up and he smirked, “ I have the best way to make this not fun.

10 minutes after Qrow had called someone, there was a knock at the door. Harriet went to go get it, “ Winter!” You heard her say happily. You all looked at Qrow as he smirked.   
  
  


Winter sat down beside Harriet, “ So you look uncomfortably good.” She said, referring to her outfit, “ And you’ve been gone for a while.”

Harriet sighed, “ I’m not pregnant again.” 

Winter needed to find a way to make this not fun, it was what Qrow had asked her to do. She was gonna fucking do it if it meant Harriet was considering on staying here.

Winter looked at Brittanee who was smoking, “ Do you mind taking that outside?” Winter asked and you all smiled. Brittanee took the cigar out of her mouth and scoffed, “ It’s just a cigar.”

Winter gave her a deathly glare and Brittanee flinched and sighed. She smiled and turned to Marrow, “ Marrow~” She purred.

She is not fucking doing this shit.

“ Do you wanna come keep me company?” She asked and her fingers crawled up his arm. You and Elm glared at her. He chuckled nervously, “ Uh, no thanks.” He put his arm around your shoulder and brought you closer. You smiled and rested your head on his shoulder. You tilted your head a little to give Brittanee a deathly glare and she scoffed then went into the backyard, taking her cigar with her.

The next few minutes was Winter trying to make things not fun but Harriet quickly caught on and called everyone in to play a game. Ouija.

“ This is childish.” Winter said as she looked at the cleared living room floor, there were candles surrounding the ouija board. You all sat down around it. “ SPIRITS!” Brittanee yelled and you all flinched, “ Is there a ghost here?” She placed her fingers on the planchette and it started to move to ‘ **Yes** ’

“ Do you have unfinished business with someone in this room?” She asked.

The planchette moved from yes, to no, to yes, to no, to yes- you get the point. “ Uh, why is it doing that?” Clover asked, “ It usually means there is more then one ghost.” Bethani said and Winter rolled her eyes. 

“ What’s your name?” Bethani asked once the planchette moved to no.

You all started saying each letter it moved to out loud.

“ A.”

“ D.”

“ A.”

“ M.”

Your head jerked up when you heard laughter. You looked at one of the moved couches and Adam was sitting on it, laughing his head off, “ You gotta admit thats funny!” He said in between his laughs and you chuckled. “ Who else is here?” You meant to ask that to Adam but the planchette moved either way.

You all said the letters it moved to out loud again.

“ C.”

“ A.”

“ I.”

“ N.”

“ Cain!” Elm chirped up then looked at you, “ Didn’t you have a friend named Cain?” 

You widened your eyes in realization then grabbed the planchette and threw it across the room, “ NO!” You yelled as you threw it then everyone just stared at you. You looked up to the roof, “ I’m sorry dude but _please_ forgive me.” You said, remembering the time you stabbed him after finding him at Beacon after the Fall.

Everyone stared at you, “...Okay.” Bethani said slowly, the chewing of her gum echoing throughout the room. She gave you all some gum, it was bubblegum.

“ Oh!” Brittanee chirped up, “ Let’s play never have I ever.” 

“ Oh em gee, yea! lets play.” Adam said in an Atlesian valley girl accent and sat beside you and you tried your best not to laugh. Was seeing ghosts just normal now? Eh, you lived in a world where monsters and magic exist, seeing a ghost is honestly normal now.

“ Okay…” Brittanee trailed off as she tried to think, “ Never have I ever...had sex.” 

Everyone took a sip from their drinks and you all kept quiet. Bethani let out the most annoying laugh and looked at Harriet, “ Is this about that Mateo guy?” She asked and Harriet nodded as she kept drinking from her cup.

Brittanee gasped, “ Do you love him?”

“ Does he love you?” Bethani asked.

You, Elm and Qrow smirked, “ Did he say it to you?” You said as you affected their accents. “ With his words-“ Elm did the same, “ Or with his actions?” Qrow finished.

The girls looked at you three confused, “ Why are you talking like that?” Brittanee asked as she chewed her gum louder then before, “ Why are you?” You asked and chewed your gum like she did. “ Like what-“

“ Alright, alright!” Harriet put her hands out to stop whatever the fuck it was you were all doing, “ Do you guys think I was a little harsh on Mateo?” She asked and looked at you all.

“ No.” You all said in unison and deadpanned at him.

“ In my opinion, “ Winter spoke up, “ You weren’t really hard on him. He sent a photo of all of us to the General when you were selling the ring, and you just let him off with a warning. You should have done what the woman did and aimed a gun at him. You can make your own choices, don’t let anyone else choose them for you.” 

Harriet sighed, “ Okay, then I’m making my choice...to stay here.”

You all widened your eyes, “ Wait, that wasn’t what I meant-“ Winter was cut off by Brittanee, “ That’s such a good choice, considering what your mom told me.”

Harriet looked at Brittanee confused, “ What did she tell you?”

* * *

Harriet sat on the stairs by her moms writing room, waiting for her to come out. She looked up when she heard the door open, her mom came out and was humming but when she looked up, she yelped, “ Harriet, where are your friends?”

“ They took the last transport back to the academy an hour ago.” Harriet responded, “ Why’d you tell my friends that my dad abused you? Did you even say it?”

Her mom’s breath hitched, “ Not to your father, no. Just a few moms.”

Harriet scoffed, “ And that just makes it okay? If I stay here then my friends would think my father is an abusive man. But he isn’t.”

Her mother shook her head, “ No they won’t, they don’t even know your father.”

Harriet stood up but didn’t move, “ But I do. And he’s an incredible man who has taken care of me my whole life. Unlike you.”

She sighed, “ Yea, I deserve that.”

“ My dad has been so worried about me getting to know you, and now I know why. “ Harriet shook her head, “ I’m so disappointed.” And mad.

“ Harriet, I- I have a new life here. I just didn’t want them to think-“

“ Think you were a bad person because you left your daughter alone? But that’s what you _did._

“ You don’t know me.”

Harriet shook her head, “ No, I do know you. You're the woman that left me so many years ago and I grew up without a mother, you don’t have a heart.”

Her mother’s fists clenched, “ You wouldn’t understand.”

Harriet smiled and slowly walked down the steps of the stairs, “ No. I do. I think I completely understand. “ She got down the steps and faced her mother, “ You lied to put on a fucking good face. You just wanted to hide the truth. Just like you lied about the real reason you left me and my dad.”

Her mother looked at her confused, “ What are you trying to imply?”

Harriet looked at the woman in front of her. They looked alike by eyes and hair colour, but they weren’t alike by heart. The one difference when it came to telling them apart, was skin colour. So, Harriet asked the one question, “ Would you have left if we had the same skin colour?”

* * *

Harriet slammed Clover’s car door, tears streaming down her cheeks. “ Hey, hare.” He whispered softly, “ You okay?” 

Her throat was so parched that when she swallowed, it hurt, and something horrible in her gut twisted. Instead of talking to answer his question, she just cried and Clover moved closer to hug her, “ I am so sorry.” He rubbed her back as she cried into his shoulder.

Harriet sniffed, “ No, I’m sorry. I acted like a bitch towards all of you tonight, and I drank in front of Qrow and gods-“ She was cut off by a sob and Clover held her tighter. 

After a few moments of just the sound of sniffs and Clover trying to make her feel better, she finally calmed down. “ Thank you.” She wiped away her final tear.

Clover’s scroll beeped and the light of the screen illuminated the dark car. Harriet smirked as he saw his lockscreen- Him and Qrow. He grabbed his scroll and Harriet looked at what he was doing. 

He went to his messages.

_Maria: Since your the leader of the Ace-operatives- which I think was a poor choice-you should come down to Mantle, Penny’s manual reboot is ending in 5 minutes, then we’ll know who attacked Y/N._

“ I think that’s the most I’ve ever seen Maria talk professionally. Kind of.” Harriet noted and Clover snorted.

“ How are we even supposed to get down to Mantle? Civilian transports ended a while ago.” She added.

Clover shrugged, “ We can just ask the General if one of the soldiers can take us down. Or you can just fly your own, _Operative_ Bree.” Harriet had missed being called that so much, for some reason. She smirked, “ Let’s go.”

They got down to Pietro’s workshop just when Penny had finished her manual reboot.

Pietro walked- well his spider chair- towards a screen with a USB in his hand, “ This USB has the footage of who attacked Penny, and if were lucky, possibly Y/N.” He plugged the USB In.

The fight between her assailant wasn’t what came up first, it was everything that Penny had forgotten. Some of it went months back. and they realized there was a camera in Penny. Someone had been watching them all for months.

They didn’t even have to go 5 seconds when watching what happened to Penny to immediately see who it was. Their eyes widened in horror, “ Holy shit.” Harriet breathed out.

* * *

It wasn’t until 30 minutes after you left when you finally got to your room. You would have gotten there immediately if Ruby hadn’t asked-forced- you to play with her and Yang. 

When you opened the door to your room, you yelped when you saw Zedd sitting there. “ Hey!” He stood up from one of the chairs and pulled you into a hug, “ I haven’t seen you since you left for Vacuo!” 

“ So what are you doing here?” You asked as you sat on your bed and he sat on a chair by your dresser. He shrugged, “ Well, uhm, since you know you were attacked, have you been able to talk to anyone about it?” He asked.

You sighed, “ No. I don’t think I can talk to Oscar about it because he’s fucking fifteen. Ruby is seventeen. And I can talk to the others but I just don’t know how.”

He let out an annoyed sigh and shook his head, “ I can’t believe you were attacked after you left Pietro’s.” He looked down and put a hand on his forehead.

You chuckled, “ Yea I-“ You stopped when you realized what he said, “...How did you know I was attacked after I left Pietro’s pharmacy?”

He looked up, “ You said it, remember?” 

You shook your head, “ No, no, I didn’t. I don’t even remember going to Pietro’s. I don’t remember anything from the attack. Everything is blurry.” 

You widened your eyes in realization, “ Your the one who attacked me.” You said below your breath. He laughed, “ Y/N, me? Attacking you? We’ve known each other for years. Should I go get Vine?” He started to stand up.

“ No!” You roared, “ You attacked me.”

You started breathing heavily and reached for the Sai on your belt, but you remember that you left it in RWBY’s dorm, and Hush was on the other side of your room. Fuck.

He smirked when he saw what you were trying to do. He started to slowly walk towards you. He started clapping, “ Took you long enough.” 

Your breath hitched and you started to scoot away from him. Your bed was in the corner of the room so if you tried to walk away, he could attack you right there. You knew when to fight or when to back down, and he was taller than you, had more muscle too.

“ What do you want?” You asked shakily.

“ I want you _dead.”_

Okay...you were not expecting that.

“ Mistral. May 16th.”

You looked down in shame. You knew that date. You were 16 at the time and it was your very last mission in Mistral. It was a mission that a _lot_ of people had to go on, maybe almost everyone in the White Fang. It was only your last mission there because of what had happened. A bunch had tried to stop the White Fang, and by stop, that means kill all the members. It ended up turning into a murder spree. Then, there was an explosion caused by the Fang, killing hundreds of White Fang members and those who tried to kill Fang members. It was why Sienna was forced to stay in Mistral, because the Fang was needed most there during the time.

The ones who tried stopping the Fang were worse then the White Fang itself, they were an organization who basically wanted to rule Remnant, and killed anyone who came in their way, yet they saw the White Fang as an enemy.

Zedd must have been one of the ones in the organization.

You looked up and faced him again, “ You were a bunch of dudes about to hurt a lot of people.”

He scoffed, “ Us? Hurt a bunch of people? The White Fang killed thousands that day. I-I watched everyone single one of my people _die_ as your organization killed them all. All of your explosives and bullets _rained_ down on us.” It wasn’t like the other organization hadn’t killed anyone too, “ You. And I mean _you,_ had all of these cool catch phrases and these gadgets that just went boom.” He put a finger on the side of his neck and- Holy shit.

At least half of his face was metal, even his eye, so was his arm and from what you saw, part of his chest too, _“ Boom.”_

His face was in front of yours now, way, way to close. It caught you off guard when his hands were over your neck and he started pulling up, then you were dangled over the floor, your face turning purple. “ I feel like I should kill you here, and let your friends find you, but I should give you a more traumatizing moment.” 

His eyes glowed and looked into yours deep, you tried to look away but you were screaming at yourself not too. Was it some kind of hypnotism?

One hand removed from your neck- his human hand- but the metal one kept holding you. He put a finger on your temple and your eyes glazed over. You went limp and he let you go. You lay on the floor, eyes wide and tears streaming down your cheeks as memories you didn’t even know you had started to flood through your head. You started shaking, you couldn’t even say anything, not even make a sound. You couldn’t hear anything, or see, but your eyes were still opened.

He then kneeled down, his hand was on your forearm and he smirked when he saw your aura colour transferring into his human arm. He was stealing your aura and semblance. Again.

He couldn’t take much though, since he heard footsteps come from outside your room. He stood up then grabbed Hush from the other side of the room. He wouldn’t escape through the door, so he would have to break the window.

He used your own semblance to break the glass of the window and he opened Hush. Right when he was about to jump, the door opened behind him, “ Y/N, Zedd is your-“ Marrow stopped when he saw Zedd and he growled.

Zedd smiled, “ Hasta la vista! I’ll be back for her soon.” Then he turned Invisible as he jumped off, Hush letting him float to the ground. The Ace-ops would have gone after him, but when they saw you, they had to help.

“ Y/N!” Marrow shook you but all that came out was a sob and more tears streamed down your cheeks. You wouldn’t move, you couldn’t even form words out of your mouth. What did he do to you?

But whatever he did, it caused a bunch of memories to flood through your head. One being what that cave in Anima was, and the other being your attack. 

  
  
Who knew a bunny Faunus could be a murderer?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ISJDISMFISMDKFJWKKD BRO I WAS SO EXCITED TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER.


	57. Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Blood and Violence

Everyone shivered as the wind came into the room. Kai used his semblance. His semblance was the ability to undo the others act of a semblance, so he fixed the window. But he could only do it once every few hours.

30 minutes and you hadn’t woken up. “ It must be his semblance,” Kai said as he looked at you. He scoffed and shook his head, “ I can’t believe Zedd is her assailant.” 

“ Me neither.” Xanthe shook her head. Someone she’s trusted for so long had tried killing her best friend. She always hated being betrayed, and this is the most she has ever been betrayed.

“ it was weird.” Marrow finally spoke up. He hadn’t spoken ever since everyone came to the Academy and into your room in the penthouse. He sat beside your unconscious body on your bed. It would have been unconscious if your eyes weren’t opened, but they were slowly closing and they were hooded eyes.

“ What was weird?” Samantha asked.

“ Half of Zedd’s face was metal, and his eye was a dark red. His entire arm was metal and so was part of his chest from what I saw.” Marrow said, “ And before he jumped out the window.” He added but mumbled it.

Xanthe should have seen it sooner. He was always out late and each time he came back to the base, someone would have been reported dead a few hours after, or Xanthe would end up finding someone dead in an alleyway. Each time his Aura flared, it was a bunch of different colours, but Xanthe always thought her eyes were playing games. And he barely ever got hurt.

They were trying to figure out who was killing a bunch in Mantle, and he was right under their noses the entire time.

“ I heard him say something when I was in the living room. “ Mistral. May 16th.” He said.” Vine said from his spot on the chair in your room.

James hummed, “ That was the saddest day for Mistral.”

“ What happened?” Oscar and Ruby asked

“ It was a mission in Mistral that the White Fang members went on, and I mean almost every member at the age of 16 or older had to go on this mission. The White Fang may seem like a group of terrorists, but we were only trying to stop this unnamed organization from trying to ‘conquer’ the world. It was stupid how they thought they could just rule Remnant.” Xanthe explained, “When they found out we were in Mistral, they attacked our entire base. It basically turned into a war, a murdering spree..” She sighed and looked down,“ There was an explosion caused by the Fang, and it killed thousands that day.”

Blake sighed and shook her head, “ I remember that. I was on a mission in Vale at that time with Adam-”

“ You were with Adam to steal some dust from a train but you were able to escape and leave the White Fang that day.”

Blake blinked at Xanthe, “ How did you know that?” She asked.

Xanthe chuckled, “ Sweetie, I’m the right hand to the leader of the Fang. I can readmission files that go years back.” She pulled out her scroll, “ This is one of the many reports.”

Xanthe read the report out loud to everyone in the room. She read what the explosive was- a bomb mixed with types of dust- which was also made by her and a bunch of others a part of the Fang’s science team. It was a horrible day for Mistral.

“ But why would Y/N and Zedd have anything to do with that day?” Ren asked.

Not many people knew you used to be in the White Fang, you had told Blake at one point that you were in it because you thought she would completely understand, knowing she was in the Fang when she was young too. And she did understand, then swore not to tell anyone. But she also said you’d have to tell them at one point, once you were comfortable. You didn’t tell her about being the leader, though.

Oscar sat down beside Marrow on your bed and looked at you. You were sweating, and your eyes were basically closed now, yet there was also the stain of tears on your cheeks. He played with your hair a little, it was what you always did when he had a nightmare or just wasn’t feeling good. 

He saw as your face kept scrunching up in discomfort. What was going on inside your head?

* * *

_Anima._

_“ Jaune?” You called._

_He wasn’t in his sleeping bag when you woke up, and as much as you walked around the forest, he was nowhere in sight. So, you decided to go into the deep part of the forest, where more Grimm probably lay, but it was worth it to go in if Jaune was missing._

_You would have woken up Nora, Ren and Ruby, but Jaune was probably watching one of the videos that Pyrrha had saved for him. You didn’t want them to see him like that. You hadn’t known Pyrrha for long, but Ren, Nora and Ruby knew her better than you. You never dared to mention Pyrrha in front of them._

_You walked up to a cave. It was dark out, and your scroll was dead. But you saw a light in the cave. “ Jaune?” Your voice echoed throughout the cave. You fingers traced over lines that felt carved on the walls, then, your hand was on something cold._

_It was hard, and it felt like metal, so you moved your hand around and found a switch. You flipped the switch and-_

_You screamed._

_Skulls were on the other side of the wall, some were Faunus skulls- you could tell because of Faunus ears on them- and the others were just normal human skulls. Dirt was all over them and blood was smeared all over the place. Knives and Guns were on tables, some belong to Huntsmen._

_This couldn’t have been the doing of a bandit._

_You yelped when someone’s hands were on your shoulder and they turned you around. Your eyes met familiar ones, “ Zedd?!” You widened your eyes._

_His eyes glowed and you went limp. It was like he was staring deep into your soul, “ You are going to leave this cave, and forget everything you saw. Never come back here again.”_

_Hypnotism?_

_But wasn’t his semblance invisibility-_

_Your eyes glazed over and your feet were forced to walk and leave the cave._

_The colour was brought back to your eyes._

_Why am I in the woods?_

_Oh, wait, Jaune!_

_You started to look around. You turned your head and there was a cave behind you. It was dark. And you wanted to go in, but something was screaming at you not to. You turned back around when you heard a caw, and there was a crow on the branch of a tree._

_In a puff of feathers, Qrow was sent sitting there, his legs dangling as she sat on the branch, “ What are you doing out here, kid?” He asked._

_“ Looking for Jaune. You seen him?” You asked but Qrow shook his head._

_“ What about that cave?” Qrow asked as he leapt off the branch._

_You shook your head, “ No, I don’t think he would go in a dark cave at night.”_

_You sighed, “ Maybe he was looking at a video of Pyrrha, I’ll just go wake up the others.”_

_Qrow gave a sombre sigh at the mention of the girl. He nodded his head, “ Be careful.” And before you could say ‘fine’, a crow swept past your face and into the starry night sky. Since Qrow was watching over all of you, he would sleep as a crow if you couldn’t make it to a settlement in time and had to sleep in the forest._

_As you walked back to the one light in the forest- the fire you made since Ruby had no idea how to make one- you heard grunting and started walking west. You stood behind a tree, then realized that Ruby was standing behind another tree close by._

_She gave a sad smile to you then her gave fell on something- more like someone. You followed her gaze and there stood Jaune, swinging his sword. You looked closely and saw that there was a video, you saw hints of red and moved a little more._

_Pyrrha._

_You gave out a sad sigh which was covered by his grunt as he swung his sword again. You carefully maneuvered over to the tree where Ruby was- thank the gods you were a literal ninja. “ We should go.” You whispered and she nodded. You both walked away in uncomfortable silence, the grunts echoing throughout the forest._

_He came back a few minutes later, and you were able to sleep peacefully that night._

_Well, it would have been peaceful if you didn’t have a bunch of nightmares about a random cave._

* * *

Another 10 minutes went by, “ Should we get a doctor?” Jaune asked and Robyn, Clover and Kai blinked at him. “ We are the doctors. We were literally all on a team.” Robyn said and Jaune gave an apologetic, yet sheepish smile.

Vine came back into the room, holding a tray with cups of water on it, “ She’s still not up yet?” He asked as a few people grabbed the cups of water from the tray. Robyn shook her head.

At this point, you must have been sleeping. Your eyes were fully closed and your face kept scrunching up in discomfort, as beads of sweat rolled down the side of your face. Oscar knew what was happening already because he had already been through many nightmares before.

A few minutes ago, Ozpin woke up- it was weird how someone in Oscar’s head could sleep, even if Oz was a dog at the moment- and asked what was happening. Oscar had informed him of everything. 

  
Ozpin scoffed, “ _Of course it’s bunny boy.” He was silent then added, “ I don’t mean to sound racist in any way-”_

“ _It’s fine.”_ Blake sent.

Oscar was really glad they could all speak to Ozpin telepathically, otherwise, it would have been confusing for those who didn’t know about Oz- such as the Happy huntresses and Kai.

Oscar heard Opzin gasp but didn’t question it, as his entire focus on you, but he could feel what Ozpin could feel: and right now, Ozpin was losing his energy.

* * *

“ _Pietro?”_

_When Pietro looked up, you looked terrible. He knew election night didn’t go well, but you looked badly beaten up._

_You knew for a fact you looked terrible too. After going to Xanthe to grab the blueprints for Hush, you were attacked by 3 bandits. You would have been able to beat them if they hadn’t caught you while you were distracted. You weren’t badly beaten up, because the bandits hadn’t even done much. But you were still in pain. They didn’t steal anything either._

_So there you were, with a bottle of painkillers in your pocket you got from a pharmacy and smelling like alcohol because you needed to take the painkillers with something, and the bar was closest to the pharmacy. The bartender thought you were another drunk from another bar as you stumbled into the bar. Though you looked badly beaten up and he had offered to help but you refused. So, he gave you a bottle of alcohol for free._

_Pietro could smell the alcohol from where he sat, and he threw a slide glance at Maria who was also confused. “ Uhm, what can I do-”_

_“ You look like shit.”_

_You glared at Maria and gave a fake smile then rolled your eyes, “ I just need to upgrade Hush.” You walked up to his desk and put down the blueprints. Once he finished looking over them, he nodded, “ I’ll be up at the academy tomorrow, then I’ll upgrade ‘er.”_

_You nodded and left. He wanted to go after you, but he knew you could take care of yourself. Besides, it wasn’t the first time he had seen you smelling like alcohol. But this was different._

_After a bunch of minutes of trying to piece things together. He widened his eyes. He had seen the painkillers, and he’s had a bunch of painkillers to know that no one can take them with alcohol._

_He and Maria started calling you but no response, and as he was about to call Penny, he and Maria’s scrolls stopped working._

_“ That’s weird…” Maria said._

_Zedd stood outside the door of his place, listening in to Pietro’s and Maria’s conversation. He smirked and walked away, “ Doctor, their scrolls aren’t working anymore. Good job.” He said into his earpiece._

_He could hear Watts chuckle, “ Good job, indeed.”_

_You stared down at your heels as you stumbled, “ Stupid heels!” You were fine with boots, not thin high heels. You were about to use your semblance to change them into boots when you were pushed into a puddle._

_You coughed when it’s dirty mud-water went into your mouth, “ What the fuck-”_

_You turned around the cried out in pain as something was stabbed into the side of your stomach. But no one was there?_

_You looked closely and you can feel someone else’s Aura._

_You kicked in any possible direction but nothing happened._

_You knew when to back down, and whoever stabbed you obviously was trying to attack you, and they had a good semblance. So you got up and ran, not even caring about the heels anymore._

_A breeze swept past you and you were kicked down again._

_You looked up._

_No one was there._

_You realized you were at a dead end, but you also saw a ladder that led to a VERY high rooftop. You sighed, realizing you had no choice. You heard a gunshot and felt something brush against your ear, then looked to the ground as smoke came up from a bullet. Thank the gods it didnt hit you, but you still had to get up._

_You started climbing the ladder but almost fell a few times because of your heels- which you quickly used your semblance to change into shoes. When you got to the top, there was no sound other than the rushing wind and the light rain thuds. You went to the other side of the rooftop to look down at the streets. No one was out since everyone was scared._

_You started to turn around._

_It’s really nice out here, because of the stars-_

_You screamed when hands were around your neck and holding you over the rooftop, and you dropped Hush the minute hands were around your neck. It started to fall down the 9 story building. But the man let go with one hand and Hush floated back up and landed at his side._

_Levitation?!?_

_Your face started turning purple and you could hear your heartbeat in your ears. Then, 2 hands appeared, one was metal and the other was a human one. You saw your aura transfer into the hand you widened your eyes._

_Suddenly, the place changed, and you were at...beacon? What?_

_It switched back to the rooftop._

* * *

Ozpin tried his best to focus on your mind, it took a lot of energy out of him when he wasn’t with you in the apartment while you were sleeping, or just didn’t have a book for memories. “ Oz? You’re kinda tiring me out.” Ozpin winced when he realized that Oscar could feel everything he felt.

If Ozpin took control then would it make it easier to switch your memories to a nice one? No, it would tire him and Oscar out. The only choice he had right now was to try and switch your memory in Oscar’s head, and his supporting dog form.

Ozpin didn’t reply and it confused Oscar, but memories flashed through his head. Beacon, he assumed was once memory. He saw you and Oscar sitting on a rooftop and staring at the sky, then it switched to you on a walk with him in Vale. One was you and Team CFVY with him in the dorm common room. He assumed they were Ozpin’s memories. It felt like a stampede in his head, and he was starting to get a headache.

He leaned his head on Marrow’s shoulder. Marrow looked surprised but his face softened and he put an arm around the young boy. Oscar felt sleepy and started to close his eyes.

“ _You need to stay awake if i’m going to do this.”_

Oscar’s eyes snapped back open but his head remained on Marrow’s shoulder. He blushed in embarrassment but leaned closer to him and Marrow smiled.

Marrow was actually happy. He hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to Oscar much, only on missions that Oscar was actually allowed to go on. Or them walking to the same place in the academy halls. He was surprised Oscar was warming up to him quickly.

Harriet shoved a paper in Xanthe’s face, “ It’s a body scan of Penny. There’s a camera in her.” Xanthe took a hold of it and looked up and down, “ I might be able to track where the camera was put in her.” If she was gonna do a bunch of science shit, then she might as well do it alone. She couldn’t bear to see you like this anymore, sweating and scrunching up in discomfort. So she moved to the living room, pulling out her scroll and scanning a bunch of stuff on the paper.

* * *

_It kept switching from Beacon to Rooftop, Beacon to Rooftop, Beacon-_

_The rooftop stayed longer though._

_Your scroll pinged and the metal hand let go of your neck and grabbed your scroll. They said something but you couldn’t hear properly, as your heart was beating rapidly._

_Your aura stopped transferring, “ That’s my que.” and like that, they dropped you._

_You hit a bunch of railings on the way down, the last part of your Aura already breaking on the first hit. When you hit the second railing, you went unconscious. It must have been an apartment building. Damnit._

_You hit at least 6 more railings until you landed on top of a car. The glass of the windows broke and pierced into your skin. It was a miracle that you were somehow still breathing, but barely._

_Each time you gained consciousness, there was a blur of white and green, and the yells “ Stay with me!” Coming from a familiar voice. The last time you gained consciousness, was when a mask was put over you._

* * *

Ozpin stopped trying when you started shaking, and so did Oscar. He apologized to the young boy maybe 50 times for draining his energy, but Oscar insisted he was fine. 

“ Track is already starting, might take a few days, though.” Xanthe came into the room, and it was at perfect timing, because when she did, You shot up from the bed, gasping for air and tears already in your eyes. 

Marrow let go of Oscar- Oscar was completely fine with it- and scooted closer to you, “ Are you okay? What happened?! Why did you stay asleep for so long?” 

You would have answered, but something horrible settled in your throat and your stomach turned. You widened your eyes and Harriet quickly caught on. Before you could say ‘Puke’ she got a trash can then ran to your side and you puked into it.

Everyone winced and Marrow rubbed your back. You cried and tears also fell into the trash can. Why did you always have to cry when puking? 

Gods, it was all horrible! The skulls..the blood. The weapons. He was a fucking murderer! A serial killer! And he was right under your damn nose the entire fucking time!

Just thinking about the cave made you puke again.

“ I’m gonna go get some medicine.” Vine said as he walked out of the room, Elm following him.

“ _May I?”_

Oscar let Ozpin take control. Ozpin scooted closer to you and his hand settled on your forearm as he rubbed it up and down, “ Calm down. Everything’s alright.”

You wanted to listen, you wanted to listen so badly! But the cave and everything wouldn’t leave your head. Vine and Elm came back with medicine and water and you took it faster than Ruby could activate her semblance.

You were so tired, and you wanted to be alone at this point. Being around everyone while you're at your weakest just makes you feel pathetic.

But Zedd…

Someone...someone you’ve trusted for so long, was a fucking serial killer, and he tried killing you. Do serial killers always act nice until someone figures out their a fucking psychopath? 

You honestly weren’t surprised you had trust issues.

You were so tired. You turned your head to Marrow, “ Can I borrow some clothes off of you?” You asked.

He smirked.

You widened your eyes when you realized how that sounded and playfully pushed him, “ Not like that! It’s just…” You looked down to your shirt which had a bit of puke on it. He winced and walked out of the room, going to his.

He then peaked his head out and smirked, “ Just to be clear, is it for me to see? Or for everyone else?”

“ Marrow!”

Everyone laughed and Marrow then went to his room. 

Not wanting to talk to anyone, and wanting to be alone, you said, “ I wanna sleep.” Everyone nodded their heads in understanding, and they stood up then walked towards the door.

“ Ren.” You called and he turned his head to you, “ Can you do the thing?”

He smiled sadly and walked over to you. He placed his hand on your forehead and closed his eyes. You went limp and fell forward into his arms. 

It was like sedation, but just no drugs, and you were able to wake up normally.

He helped you lie down then left. 

When Marrow came back, you were already asleep. His eyebrows raised in surprise but shrugged and left one of his black shirts on the chair. Knowing you were short, his shirt would have gone to your knees.

Marrow turned off the lights and left your room.

Everyone was sitting in the living room, none of them were leaving tonight.

And once got into a cuddle pile that was started by Ruby, and Elm brought in all the pillows and blankets. They fell asleep.

And woke up somewhere...odd.

* * *

When Oscar opened his eyes, he immediately knew where he was, this wasn’t the first time Ozpin had visited him in his mindset. Oscar turned his head to find a smiling Ozpin sitting on the couch across from him and Oscar immediately shot us and hugged him.

Ozpin didn’t find it surprising. The first time Ozpin did this with Oscar, Oscar hugged him and babbled about how he always wanted to meet him and well, a bunch of other stuff! They had a bunch of moments together, either it was Oz telling him about Beacon, Oscar telling him about his farm days, or Ozpin just tickling him. They created a bond over the few weeks.

Over the next few minutes, a bunch of other people popped up in the apartment, some appearing on couches or chairs, or some just simply standing. The last to appear out of the group in the cuddle pile in real life, was Harriet who was the most weirded out by all of this.

Ozpin explained the plan to everyone. It wasn’t until a few minutes later, when you popped up. 

You groaned into the pillow on the couch, “ What?” You asked then turned your head to find everyone was in the apartment. “ Oh, wow. You did this with everyone.”

Ozpin nodded.

You groaned again and moved a little so you were laying on your back, “ What do you want?”

“ We need to see the memories you saw.” 

You quirked an eyebrow up and looked at Ozpin, his face serious. 

But..you didn’t want to have to see those memories again. But you were also screaming at yourself to let them see the memories. It was like having an angel on one side of your shoulder, and the devil on the other.

Well, there was an actual devil, since Adam was here, who was glaring at Yang and Blake. They didn’t see him. You weren’t sure if Ozpin would have been able to see him, but if Ozpin could and turned around, he would scream.

You sighed,“ What do I have to do?” 

Ozpin stood up, cane in hand as he started walking, “ How many memories was it?”

“ Two.”

He nodded then turned his head to you, “ I want you to think of an empty area, and a bookshelf with unnamed books.”

You nodded and did as he said, closing your eyes. It wasn’t until a few seconds later, when everyone made a surprised gasp and you opened your eyes, there was a bookshelf on one of the walls which was never there before.

“ Where did the memories take place?” He asked as he started rummaging through the books, which had names on them, some you could see, some you couldn’t.

“ A cave in-“ You gagged thinking about the cave again.

“ Anima?” Ozpin finished and you nodded. He grabbed a book then threw it at you, “ Ow.” You said and rubbed your forehead- which was where the book hit you. You looked at the book but was careful not to open it, ‘Cave In Anima’ it said on the side. 

On the front of the book was just plain, but there was also a lock on the side of the book. And a small oval shaped mirror in the middle of the front.

You placed it on the table and yelped when another book was thrown at you, ‘My attack’ it said on the side. It was the same as the other book. Ozpin walked to the table beside you and stacked the 2 books together- then it magically turned into one whole book. The mirror was still on it and so

He grabbed it, “ You have to unlock it.”

“ How do I unlock it?” You asked.

He shoved the book in your face, making sure the mirror was especially in front of your face. Your eyes locked with your reflection and then- poof! A key levitated above the book and everyone made gasps of awe. It glowed a little.

You grabbed it and placed the key into the side of the book. You didn’t turn it yet, you instead looked up at Ozpin, “ Professor, do I have to see this again?”

He chuckled, “ Y/N, if you think I would let you see these memories again, then you're crazy. But before you turn this key, I must ask, any warnings for us?” 

You would have answered but you gagged thinking about the cave. He nodded his head, “ Alright, guess we’ll just go in blind.” He nodded his head at the book.

A smile tugged at the corner of your lips and you turned the key. It flung open, flipped to a random page in the middle of the book. It glowed and everyone’s bodies were drawn in. Literally. The book dropped to the floor and closed. And the only people in this room were you and Adam.

“ So-“

“ Peace and quiet.”

He nodded his head and started to walk around the apartment, you ignored the sounds of something breaking and him yelling, “ Sorry!” each time.

The warning you had that they were coming back was when you heard the sound of the books pages on the floor turning. 30 minutes. Wow.

Everyone literally jumped out of the book and landed in their own spots. The book shut again, the key disappearing.

Oscar and Ruby were shaking, and along with everyone else, their eyes were wide. Vine’s face was neutral but he was frowning and his knee or finger twitches every now and then. You knew Vine long enough to know when he was scared, sad, angry, or any emotion. And he was absolutely mortified.

“...So how was it?” You quirked an eyebrow up as you looked at the ceiling, hands going in the air as you started to look at your nails. 

“ So many skulls…” Winter shuddered, then gagged, “ Can I puke in my own mindset?”

Ozpin nodded and Winter widened her eyes. It wasn’t even a heartbeat until she ran to a bathroom and puked.

You nodded your head, “ Yep. Reeeaaal great.” You rolled your eyes.

Everyone glanced at each other in worry, “ Are you...okay?” Nora asked.

You scoffed, “ Whatever brought that up? Of course I’m not okay.” You tried not to get mad, or else it would have triggered the Summer Maiden powers.

You turned your head to Oz who was shaking slightly, “ Can I leave now?”

Just when you asked that, the apartment started disappearing and you disappeared from the couch.

* * *

You wouldn’t even leave bed when you woke up, and cried into your pillow the entire time you were up. At some points, you cried yourself to sleep, or slept to get the hunger away. It was maybe noon. No one had come into your room. 


	58. The strongest in Remnant.

Vine would come into your room now and then, you were always faced away from him. He would ask if you were okay, but you never responded. So, he just left food on your night table.

But each time he came back, only half of a biscuit would be eaten. 

The track for where the camera was placed in Penny was still going, no one knew how long it would take.

“Hey, Y/N...Are you okay?” Marrow whispered as he came into your room.

“Please leave me alone.” You sounded so broken and upset, that it hurt Marrow.

“ Are you sure? We can bake something with Vine! Or go shopping- wait you hate shopping- We can go rollerblading and even invite team FNKI, or watch-”

“ _Please.”_

He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it. He knew he couldn't win this. He had to respect your wishes. He sighed, giving up, “ Okay, just, we're all here if you need us.”

No response. He didn't expect one.

Was it really your fault for being like this, though? Someone you've known for so long, was just a traitor, and someone who tried to kill you. Did Zedd ever even care about you? What if he tried to kill you before but you just never noticed? 

“ How is she?” Harriet asked once Marrow got to the living room.

“ She's still upset.” He sat down on the couch.

“ Can you blame her? I mean, a bit of her aura was stolen again, and her friend is a fucking serial killer.” Elm said and Clover didn't even call her out on her language.

* * *

Ozpin was the only one in your room, since his dog form comforted you a little. Adam would appear now and then, and the dog would growl each time he did. Apparently, Ozpin could see ghosts.

“ Is seeing ghosts normal for people?” You mumbled.

_“ Yes, It always has been. You can see them if they choose to show themselves. And seeing as I'm ‘ the farm boy wizard’ I can see them if they don’t show themselves to me, but to someone else.”_ Ozpin answered.

“ The General and your bird friend are currently screaming at each other on what to do about Mantle.” Adam appeared, “ A Wanted post of Zedd is going out later.”

“ Good.” You mumbled into your pillow.

Each time you slept, Ozpin would visit you in your mindset. He’d grab a bunch of memories of him and you or him and you with team CFVY. They made you feel a little- a LITTLE- better. But some memories, you couldn't even remember.

You were somehow losing your memory, along with your mind.

A few hours later, when the sun was setting, Oscar came.

After Ruby begged the General to have access to the penthouse so she could see everyone- she actually just wanted to annoy her uncle and Clover- He gave everyone access. 

“...Can we do something? JNR is on a mission and I usually play board games with the General but he's sort of uh-”

“ Freaking out?” You finished.

“ Yeah..” Oscar breathed out, “ I'm bored!”

You rolled over to the other side of your bed and reached under the bed. “Here.” You threw a puzzle box at him, “ I don't have anything else. Do it with Marrow, I'm sure he’ll do it with you.”

“ We can watch a movie! Or..uh-”

“ I'm sorry Oscar, I'm just really not in the mood.” You rolled back over to the warm spot on the bed. Oscar sighed, giving up.

“ Yea, she didn't even leave,” Oscar said once he closed the door of your room and everyone in the living room groaned.

“ Thanks for trying, kid,” Qrow said.

“ No problemo.” He said as he stepped into the elevator.

* * *

“ Listen, bitch.” You widened your eyes when you heard a voice and you felt Adam tense up, “ _Adam.”_ She growled. Your face was on the pillow and you immediately shot up from it. There sat on a chair, someone who was supposed to be dead. No- she _was_ dead, she was a ghost.

It wasn’t even 3 am yet, it was literally 11 pm.

Great.

_“ It appears you have another ghost friend.”_

“ Hi, Sienna.” You mumbled.

“ Good to see you, Y/N.” She said.

“ I don't need your sarcasm.”

She threw her hands up in surrender, “ I'm not being sarcastic, really. It's great to see you. You know, since I haven't seen you since you escaped the White Fang and-”

“ Sienna.” Adam glared at her.

She cleared her throat, “ Right. Y/N, even though you were a bit of a brat during your years in the Fang when you were young, you were a great fighter. I know you're upset about Zedd, but honestly, he's a dick. You've shown me admirable work for all the years I took care of you and I know the last person you would want advice from is me, since I was horrible to you when you were young. But, my advice is to be there for everyone. You don't need an Aura, a semblance or a weapon to fight, you just need your friends, you need _love._ “

“ Love?” you asked.

She nodded, “ I see you've-” She was cut off when your door opened, and Marrow came In. “ Nice to see you're not saying down and sitting up, that's an upgrade, I think?” He chuckled and set 2 bags down by your closet.

“ What’s that?” You asked. 

He sat down beside you, “ Well, since you're not doing...well right now, and since your bag exploded in the crash...I got you some new clothes.”

You blinked at him then the bag then back at him, “ Marrow, you didn’t have to do that-“

He pushed your chin up so your eyes met and your lips connected. You ignored the sarcastic coo’s from Adam and the eye roll from Sienna, but she was smiling.

When your lips parted, he spoke, “ it’s fine. Really. Clover and Harriet went with me...and now you have a sleeveless turtle neck. Courtesy of Clover.” 

You snorted, “ I don’t mind. Thank you.”

He stood up from the bed and placed a kiss onto your forehead, “ Me and the others are gonna play a game...do you wanna join?”

You glanced at Sienna and Adam, “ Maybe.”

He nodded, “ Alright.” Then left.

“ What I was saying before, is that I see you’ve found Marrow.” Sienna chuckled. The next few minutes went by with Sienna giving you advice, which you so desperately needed. 

* * *

JNR was on a mission, it would have been just Jaune and Nora but Ren had offered to fill in your spot since you didn’t even dare to leave your room. So, Oscar was alone that night, seeing as it was 11:00 pm and team RWBY was probably asleep.

So, he had two choices, either stay in the dorm alone and risk having nightmares, or go up to the penthouse to see the Qrow and Clover.

He chose the latter.

He fiddled with his fingers as the elevator went up, his blanket was hung over his shoulder. He just hoped the Ace-ops weren’t in the living room, he did like them, he just thought that they would have seen him as childish when he needed someone to be there for him when sleeping.

He already tried sleeping, but instantly woke up from a nightmare, so that’s why he was also coming up to the penthouse. There was a beep and the elevator doors opened then he walked out, and-Welp.

The Ace-ops and Winter sat on the couches in the living room. “ Hey, pipsqueak.” Winter waved, Qrow must have been rubbing off on her if she was saying pipsqueak.

Qrow was usually always with Clover in the penthouse, and when he wasn’t, that meant he was sleeping. Oscar rubbed the back of his neck nervously, “ Uh, sorry. You're obviously busy. I thought Qrow would be here.” He turned around to head back for the elevator.

“Ah-Ah-Ah!” Clover shook his head and Oscar turned around. 

Clover took a look at him, his face was pale, his eyes had a look of fear in them, and he was sweating. Yep, a nightmare, “ Come sit.” 

“ A-are you sure? I-“

“ Kid, come sit!” Elm exclaimed. Oscar knew he wasn’t getting out of this, so he sat down beside Elm.

“ Wanna play?” Marrow asked.

“ Play what?” Oscar turned his head to him.

“ Beat saber. It’s pretty fun.” Marrow finished a round and gave the controller to Oscar. Oscar shrugged, deciding to play,

And everyone widened their eyes to see how good he was even though it was his first time playing this game, and apparently, his first time playing a video game.

It was a song called, ‘ _Caffeine’_ and it was one of the hardest songs.

“ How the hell?!” Harriet yelled.

Oscar giggled, “ This is fun.” 

After a few songs, Oscar got tired of playing and Clover took his place. “ You guys are so loud.” Qrow said as he came out of his room. “ Sorry, birdie!” Clover yelled over the music.

“ Hey, kiddo.” Qrow sat down beside Oscar and ruffled his hair. Oscar got sleepy and he leaned to the side- leaning into Vine.

Vine was pretty surprised, but smiled and put an arm around the young farm boy, bringing him closer. Harriet and Marrow blinked, “ What?” Vine asked.

“ it’s just-“ Harriet started but Elm shut her up. Vine shrugged, and Oscar’s head was in his lap as he carded his fingers through his hair. Oscar snored and everyone tried so hard not to laugh.

Elm chuckled, “ I can see why you basically adopted a bunch of kids.” Elm said to Qrow and Qrow snorted, “ Those kids are really something.” He said.

“ Speaking of those kids, I think Oscar had a nightmare.” Winter said once she finished her round and sat down beside Marrow. Qrow nodded, “ He gets them a lot.”

“ Any reason why?” Marrow asked.

Qrow sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “ At Haven, there was this brawny guy named Hazel. He had some beef with Oz, and well, took it out on Oscar. Oscar had to rest for 4 days after he fought with him. Well, mostly Ozpin did, but it still tired out Oscar since Oz took control.” 

Harriet scowled, “ I hope I get to beat the shit out of him one day.” 

“ Not if I get to first.” Elm said as she slammed her fists together, but not hard since she didn’t want the sound to wake up Oscar. 

“ One day, if we _all_ see Hazel, then we will _all_ beat him up.” Clover said.

* * *

“ By love, I mean those around you. You obviously love Marrow, and you obviously love your friends.” Sienna stood up and started to walk around the room, “ You're a strong individual, Y/N, yet you're giving up, it’s a shame. If you want to beat Zedd, then how can you when you can't beat the person who won't give up?”

_“ She’s right. There is no failure except in no longer trying.”_ Ozpin said, deciding he should have some part in giving advice.

“ Never give up on something you really want. And you want to save and protect your friends. The moment you give up is the moment you let someone else win. Sometimes it’s worth it all to risk the fall.” Then, like that, her and Adam disappeared, and you swear you felt a hand on your shoulder but no one was there.

“ Sometimes it’s worth it all to risk the fall.” You murmured, repeating her words,“ She’s right.” 

So, you finally left your room for the entire day.

You were expecting everyone to be awake, but the Ace-ops were on the couches and sleeping, Oscar with them. You smiled then went to go grab some blankets for then,

But as you did, the elevator doors opened.

Samantha and James came into the room, slowing down once they saw the Ace-ops sleeping, Samantha turned to you and held out her scroll and it showed a map, a red circle on a certain part of it, “ We tracked it.”

After James carefully picked up Oscar and took him to your room, he woke up the Ace-ops.

“5 more minutes..” Clover mumbled and James snorted. “ Clover, it’s me.” James said and Clover immediately shot up.

“ General Ironwood! What are you doing here?” Clover asked.

Samantha walked up, holding out her scroll, “ Zedd could possibly be here.” She pointed to a red circle on the map. 

“ I want the Ace-ops at the landing area in five minutes, police and security are already going down. Make sure someone stays here with Oscar.” James said and Clover nodded.

5 minutes later, Samantha, Clover, James, Vine, Harriet, Winter and Marrow. were all at the landing area, you, Qrow and Elm staying at the penthouse. And 10 minutes later, they were on the south edge of Mantle.

* * *

They called the south part of Mantle, ‘ The Edge.’ No one knew why, but no one lived there, it was like the Slums, but abandoned. The sound of the wind whistling and police talking filled the area. There was an abandoned house in the area- in fact, it was the _only_ house.

“ Listen up everyone.” Winter yelled over the murmurs of a few police and whistling wind. Everyone turned to her, “ Zedd Ray is a wanted fugitive for murder, treason, and also attempted murder. I want everyone to search this house from top to bottom, report to me if you find anything. Security stay outside, Ace-ops with me.”

The inside of the house hadn’t looked like it had been touched for years, but the fingerprints visible on windows and mirrors proved otherwise. There were...skulls and it made Winter gag. Blood was smeared over the walls, some walls just had bloody handprints.

“ Marrow and Harriet with me.” Winter said.

“ Vine and Samantha, you both with me.” Clover said.

When Marrow, Harriet and Winter went to the basement, there were...passages. Several passages. East, west and north. They must have led into the city. “ Do you think he escaped using one of these?” Harriet asked.

“ He must have.” Winter said, looking at the passages, then reached for her earpiece. “ Clover. Status.” 

_“ He’s not here. But don’t come upstairs.”_

The 3 of them looked at each other confused, “ Clover, what is it?”

_“ It’s- it’s nothing disgusting, it’s just d-disturbing.”_

Winter had never heard Clover stutter like that, unless Qrow had flirted back with him. But Qrow wasn’t here, so what was Clover seeing?

So Clover couldn’t hear, she nodded towards the stairs and the trio quietly walked up, trying not to alert Clover. 

When Clover heard the room door open, he widened his eyes and turned around in a bear to find the three of them. 

Marrow tilted his head, Vine was frozen and his fingers twitched. Marrow knew that meant he was disturbed. He walked around Clover. 

His breath hitched, and so did everyone else’s.

Photos.

Photos of you, your friends, and information on all of them. Files of dead White Fang members with the words ‘DONE’ written on them in red. Semblances of all of them outlined.

There was a photo of you on James’ back, _“ The view is great from up here!”_ You said and Qrow took the photo. A few seconds after he did, James grabbed your arm and flipped you over and into the ground. _“ Meanie!”_ You pouted.

That photo was the 4th day you came to Atlas. It wasn’t Qrow’s photo, though. It was taken from another angle. And Penny was seen on the edge of the photo.

Meaning she didn’t take the photo.

So Zedd was there.

Zedd has been watching you all since the day everyone got to Atlas…

2 photos were in the middle and circled, above the photos the word ‘IMPORTANT’ was written in red. 

It was you and Oscar. 

They read what was written on notes attached to the photos.

_Oscar Pine: 14 year old boy._

_Semblance: Unknown._

_Weapon: Cane._

_Doesn’t seem good in a fight, has magic though, so will be a dent in the plan. Cinder wants him dead._

_Need to get rid of him._

“ He has information on all of us.” Harriet said below her breath, her finger tracing over her own photo and the information.

_Y/N L/N: Leader._

_Semblance: Mirroring._

_Weapon: Parasol._

_NEED TO GET RID._

_~_

_Qrow Branwen: Looks like he just killed someone._

_Semblance: Unknown._

_Weapon: Scythe._

_Will be a dent in plan, has a good Aura. Strong fighter. No need to kill._

_~_

_Ace-Operatives._

_Clover Ebi: Fisher dude, dating Qrow._

_Semblance: Good Fortune._

_Weapon: Some sort of fishing rod._

_Not interested._

_Harriet Bree: Mohawk. Usually with Marrow._

_Semblance: Speed._

_Weapon: I have no idea what the fuck it is._

_Not interested._

_Elm Ederne: Brown hair, muscular, usually with Pale Dude._

_Semblance: Some sort of sticky thing._

_Weapon: Hammer._

_Together with a pale dude named Vine._

_Strong fighter, but not interested._

_Vine Zeki: Seriously pale._

_Semblance: Stretchy arms and legs._

_Weapon: Doesn’t use them, but on his back._

_Not interested._

_Marrow Amin: Traitor._

_Semblance: Can make people freeze for a while, matters how much Aura they have._

_Weapon: Boomerang._

_Can possibly kill him to make Y/N suffer._

_~_

_Winter Schnee: General’s right hand. Don’t need to say a lot since she’s a Schnee._

_Weapon: 2 swords._

_Semblance: Glyphs and Summons._

_Not interested._

_~_

_James Ironwood: The General._

_Semblance: Unknown._

_Weapon: 2 guns, one has explosive bullets, other has gravity._

_Will prove a fight._

_~_

_Team RWBY: Team of 4 girls who got their licenses early._

_Ruby Rose: Leader of Team RWBY. Cinder wants her dead._

_Semblance: Petal burst._

_Weapon: Scythe. Takes after her Uncle, which is Qrow._

_Won’t seem to prove a fight, usually paired up with Schnee on outer wall duties, and paired with her Uncle, Clover and robot girl on supply runs._

There was a photo connected to Ruby’s note, it was her, Cloved, Penny and Qrow going into a truck that led to Amity. Did they not notice Zedd, or was Zedd using Invisibility the entire time?

_Weiss Schnee: Used to be heiress, related to Winter._

_Semblance: Glyphs and Summons._

_Weapon: Don’t know what the fuck it is._

_Doesn’t seem to prove a fight, summons and glyphs will be difficult if forced to fight. I should maybe take her and Winter’s semblance and Aura._

_Blake Belladonna: Traitor who left the Fang years ago. Cat Faunus._

_Weapon: Called Gambol shroud. Variant Ballistic Chain Scythe._

_Semblance: Shadows._

_Killed Adam, so may be a problem, always has Blondie with her._

_Yang Xiao Long: Half-sister of Ruby._

_Semblance: Don’t have the name, but she gets stronger with each hit, then uses the energy to fight back._

_Weapon: Gauntlets._

_Pretty strong, always has cat Faunus with her. Will prove a fight._

_~_

_Team JNPR: 3 members, the 4th deceased._

_Jaune Arc: Leader._

_Semblance: Amplifying Aura’s ( will be a problem)_

_Nora Valkyrie: Thunder girl._

_Semblance: Electricity powers her up._

_Weapon: A hammer._

_Will prove a fight, but not interested._

_Lie Ren: Dating Thunder girl._

_Usually quiet, can’t get through him at times. Semblance is unknown. Weapons are green, fully automatic pistols with sickle-like blades attached vertically under the barrels._

_~_

_Penny Polendina: Robot._

_Can detect me when invisible, stay away from her when in sight using semblance. Aura is the same as Pietro’s. Weapon is in her backpack, 8 swords, cam also put her swords into smaller rings in order to fire multiple weaker beams. Can prove a fight, but not interested._

_~_

_Team CFVY: Y/N’s former unofficial team. In Vacuo, I don’t need to do anything about them._

_~_

_Will only kill Xanthe, Samantha, and Miko if necessary._

Samantha walked up to the files of dead White Fang members, “ All of their semblances are outlined.” 

She gasped then turned around, “ If...If Zedd killed all of them, and he stole their Auras and semblances, then that means…” She stopped, a look of horror on her face. 

“ Meaning?” Vine prompted.

Her breath hitched and she looked up, “ That means he could be the strongest person in Remnant…”


	59. Files, Notes, Photos.

“ He has _WHAT?!”_ Your voice boomed throughout the Academy halls and everyone flinched.

“ Files on all of us...” Samantha said, below her breath.

Your fists clenched as you felt the anger bubbling up in you, “ THAT SON OF A FUCKING BITCH! IMMA KILL HIS DUMBASS-”

Everyone widened their eyes as you proceeded to scream profanity and Flynt played his trumpet down the hall as you kept screaming, shutting out everything you were saying.

“-DICK!” You finished and panted.

Everyone blinked. You were expecting someone to say something, like Clover to say “Language”, but he didn't even say it, and their eyes just stared into yours. “ Since when do your eyes glow? Marrow suddenly asked.

Your eyes widened mildly and turned your head to a window, your eyes were glowing. Fuck, you almost triggered the Summer Maiden powers. You let out a breath and calmed down, the glow fading away, “ Uh...new aspect of my semblance.”

“ It’s one am, what the fuck is going on?” Yang asked tiredly as she came out of her dorm room, rubbing her eyes and flinching at the light in the hallways.

You shook your head, “ Nothing. Sorry for screaming.”

“ Do you remember what I said in Mistral?” She asked suddenly.

You sighed, remembering what she said, “ No more half-truths or lies.” Even though you were keeping a bunch of secrets from everyone, such as the White Fang and being the Summer Maiden-

She stood straighter and crossed her arms, then quirked an eyebrow up. it was as if she never fell asleep.

You sighed and it ended with a groan. You dragged a hand down your face.“ You guys go tell them what happened. Where’s James?” You asked.

Winter looked down, “ He’s...he’s a bit stunned someone was able to get past security. He locked himself in his office. I can't even get him out.” She said, putting a hand on her forearm.

You nodded then looked at Yang, “ I'll be back. The others will tell you everything.” You said and she nodded, Winter and the others going into RWBY’s dorm and JNPR’s dorm to wake them up.

As you walked down the hallway of the Academy, your fingers traced over lines in the wall. If there was a window, you would look at the starry night sky, Remnants moon illuminated the Academy.

It...it was all just...too _much._ Zedd, The Grimm, Salem, being the Summer Maiden. Would you ever catch a break? Would any of you all catch a break? It was already hard enough hiding the fact you were the leader of the Fang, but now you were hiding the biggest secret which could possibly lead to chaos. All the headmasters and their right hands knew that the Summer Maiden had disappeared, but now there was a new one. 

The reason it could be chaos is because of the sword of Destruction. Ozpin hadn't told you what the sword's ability was, but the name of it basically says everything. If Salem was telling the truth...which may be right because she showed you the vision of fire coming out of your eyes, then would you be bringing her the relic of knowledge? She did say you would. 

Gods, everything was just too crazy. Salem couldn't be right, you couldn't be giving her the relic of knowledge. But Maidens? Magic? Relics? Anything was possible, and you just didn't know what to believe anymore.

And Zedd...Gods, Zedd. That dick had files, notes, and photos of all of you. You didn't see everything yet, since the police took care of it and gave everything to James. He must have been shocked, maybe even scared. Zedd was able to get past Atlas security and personnel, James had every right to be shocked and scared.

You were brought out of your thoughts when you found yourself just outside James’ office. He had the locks engaged but you knew the camera right by it was on so he could see who was outside. You leaned against the wall and slowly slid down, sitting on the floor.

“ Hey, James.”

* * *

He couldn't believe it. He was shocked, stunned...and honestly even a little scared for his students. 

Atlas Academy was supposed to be safe. No, it _was_ safe, yet Zedd had somehow gotten inside. He even got into Penny’s system for crying out loud! Penny had cameras that could sense anyone, so she would have been able to see Zedd if he didn't get into her system. Whatever was in her to make her cameras go off, must have been malfunctioning after being inside of Penny for so long. It explained why Zedd had put...whatever that spider thing was inside her; So he could make sure her cameras were off. 

Thank the gods that Pietro was able to get it out of her, and they were able to find out it was Zedd. Though no one was thankful that it was Zedd who was your assailant.

He looked at the photos on the files. Every semblance was outlined and underlined. His finger traced over Oscar’s photo. Gods, he was so young! And Zedd wanted him dead! 

There were photos of everyone. Not just one photo. Multiples. There were photos of team RWBY in training rooms, even their own dorms! How had they not even felt some weird presence in their room? Blake always told James that there was some sort of draft in their room, and that the door randomly opened at night. He had offered if she wanted him to fix it by she brushed it off and said, “ Probably a ghost.”

But really, it was just Zedd coming into their room.

Speaking of that conversation, there was a photo of him and Blake walking through the Academy halls after coming from the library. That was when they had the conversation about the dorm room door.

That was the last photo of team RWBY at their dorm until it just switched to supply runs and outer wall duties. 

There were only 2 photos of team JNPR’s dorm. It was explainable why Zedd hadn't gone into their dorm because Ren could have easily noticed their dorm door opening and hear the sound of very faint and light footsteps. There was a photo of Nora braiding Ren’s hair during an outer wall duty. Jaune had an arm around Oscar’s shoulder, Oscar’s eyes were red and puffy, so he must have been crying. Then the entire team at some restaurant in Atlas.

He looked at Willow’s file, notes, and photo. There was only one photo of her. Schnee Manor had more security cameras than Atlas Academy, and they were all sensory cameras, so it explained why Zedd never went to Schnee Manor. The only photo there was, was when Willow, Clover, and James were fighting and she threw the fire dust crystal and Weiss caught it on the roof of the hospital.

He looked at his photos. You and him walking through the garden. Him tutoring Oscar in the library. Him and Clover talking In the hospital before they both fought Willow. Him and Qrow walking through the gardens...and him in his office. How did he not even sense Zedd In his own office?! Was he just too caught up with work that he didn't notice?!

He gave a sad smile at one of the photos. It was a week after you and everyone else had come to Atlas, you were on his back. “ The weather is great from up here!” You had said before he grabbed your hand and flung you over his shoulder and onto the ground.

He looked at the files of dead White Fang members. He knew you were the leader, he found out when he was looking for anything you would want in your hospital room, and found a photo of you back in the White Fang, and a mask. Samantha had told him what her semblance was. So he instantly knew.

If Zedd stole all of their semblances and auras, then he was basically the strongest person on remnant. Other than Salem and Ozpin themselves. And the gods if they were still on Remnant. 

Someone with that much of an Aura? Was basically impossible to beat. He had heard the story of Gillian Asturias when you told him about Vacuo, that she could steal Auras. According to you and team CFVY, she and her crown soldiers were almost impossible to beat. They had only won because Jax used his semblance on Gill, and Vacuan citizens came to help with the fight on Shade Academy.

His intercom beeped and he pressed a button on it to listen to who it was, also looking at the security cameras to see who was outside his office. There you sat on the floor, your back against the wall. _“ Hey, James.”_ You said softly. 

He sighed, raising the volume on the intercom. He couldn't face you right now. Not when he smelt like alcohol and looking at all of the files of your friends. He hoped you would do away.

_“ You in there? We need to talk about some things.”_

A few moments passed, James didn't say anything, and he made a sigh of relief as you stood up and walked away.

But 3 seconds after that, you walked back to the door and leaned against it, _“ Okay, I know you're in there.”_ You chuckled awkwardly.

_“ Listen, I-I know we should be past this, but I got mad at you about something when you were right.”_

Mad? When were you mad at him? He wondered of all the times you got mad at him. Maybe recent times? _Hmm…_

“ _I should have taken them.”_

His eyes widened mildly when he remembered. He had slowly started to find out that you weren't taking sleeping pills in the hospital. There wasn't a fight about it, no. But he did get angry. Okay, actually, there was a fight. Not a physical one, of course not. You had said that you'd, “ Rather be in a coma than take the pills.” and that he was a “ Control freak.”  
  


Which he kinda was.

_“ I should have taken the sleeping pills back at the hospital. Honestly, I should have been on something, but I never even took any of the pills. I...I was just scared. What if I went to sleep, and I woke up then a doctor told me I was in another two week coma? It was scary when I found out about my memory, being attacked, and thinking about what everyone’s reaction was when they found out I was in a coma. I didn’t want to sleep again. I didn’t want to risk going to sleep then not waking up for two weeks. I never meant it when I said I would rather be in a coma again then take the pills. I’m sorry for calling you a control freak. You just wanted to protect and help me. Don’t lock yourself in here because you think it was your fault that I was attacked, or because you couldn’t keep Zedd out of the Academy. Everything was his fault. Not yours.“_

You slid down next to the door, “ _You’ve protected all of us. Doesn’t matter if Zedd got In here, you still managed to protect us all.”_

He sighed and disengaged the locks. 

You walked into the room, scanning it. It was all a mess, books were scattered across the floor, same with papers on his desk. You smiled sadly and pulled up a chair behind him, leaning on his side and putting an arm around his shoulder.

“ I’m sorry.” He whispered, “ I really am.”

“ I know. This isn’t your fault as much as this isn’t mine.”

He dragged a hand down his face, “ But-“

“ James, it’s Zedd’s fault. He’s the one who attacked me. Not you.” You said, your voice steady.

For the first time that day, James smiled, “ I don’t think you understand how much I wanna kill him.”

You laughed, “ Was that humour?”

His smile grew, “ It was.”

Ever since he became a tin man, he had finally truly smiled. Team SMIL. Weird, right? He barely smiled yet his old team name was pronounced Smile. It was a sight to see him smile happily. 

You gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze before retracting your arm. You found your hand atop of a file and read it. You huffed, “ I hate that sick bitch.”

“ Same here.” He said, plainly.

You put down the file and smiled at him, but your smile faltered. “ What is it?” James asked as you stood up. His head turned as he watched you walk up to the window. 

You looked at the window, your eyes looking back at you. For a second, you saw fire coming out of them. James said he wanted to kill Zedd, and speaking of killing someone… “James, you know how the Summer maiden went missing years ago.” You didn't say it as much of a question, more like a fact.

He turned his chair around. Even though your back was faced to him, he knew by how your hand was on your forearm that you were uncomfortable. But why were you? He knew you had seen a lot of disgusting stuff, such as skulls and smeared blood, so you couldn't have been uncomfortable from seeing files about your friends, “ Yea…” He said slowly, confusion starting to wash over him.

“ Have you ever heard the phrase, 'the best place to hide something is in plain sight'?" You asked.

He could barely hear you, seeing as you said it barely above a whisper, but he was close enough. “ Yes.” He said, even more confusion washed over him. He started to slowly stand up then walk towards you, “ Y/N, are you okay?” He asked, placing a hand on your shoulder as you closed your eyes.

He quickly brought his hand back when you turned your head and opened your eyes, fire coming out of them. His eyes widened and his breath hitched, “ Are...are you trying to say that-”

“ Yes.” You said, more steady than before. You walked back to his desk, clearing a few papers and sat down atop of it, your clenched hands in your lap and looking down, “ I killed someone.”

He blinked, “ Oh.” He never thought of the day you would have killed someone. He knew you made a lot of enemies, but killing someone? That was not on his list of expectations of you. 

“ It...it wasn't like I wanted to- Well, I did, but- Okay.” You sighed and shook your head, “ It was during Vacuo. Rumpole told you that Carmine Esclados was the Summer Maiden.” He nodded his head and you continued, “ I found out when I went after her. Worst possible timing ever. We fought for what felt like hours. My aura was already broken and she could make a sandstorm with the powers. I wasn't thinking straight, and she was so close to killing me. So, I killed her. I only thought of how much damage she could do with the powers. She's even tried killing a bunch of people, yet still got away with it! I don't think killing her was the best decision, but it was the only decision I could make. But...I was in her final thoughts.” You looked up and fire came out of your eyes again, tears in them too.

He made a sigh of relief. That was at least better than killing Carmine for no reason, “ Y/N.” He walked up and put a hand on your shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze, “ You did good. I know you aren’t proud of it, but you’re right about not knowing what she could do with the power. I know having the power could be tough, and I can understand why you're keeping it from the others. If anyone found out, then Salem will, and well, you know.”

_Salem already does know._ You thought. “ Thanks.” You said, yet you were still ashamed. 

He chuckled, “ Just don’t hide a gigantic secret like this again...other than being the White Fang Leader. And we need to figure out some stuff, seeing as the others aren’t safe here.” 

* * *

And _oh_ did you figure stuff out. 

There you all were in the common room. Currently, 2 am. 

James was in team FNKI’s dorm room, talking to them privately. Apparently, there were also files on Team FNKI, so he was informing them about the problem and making sure they are always escorted by Atlas Personnel. Zedd wrote on a note he wouldn’t kill team FNKI, but anything was possible. 

You and James had an idea. Now that they knew Zedd could get into Atlas Academy, they had to go somewhere else.

And that somewhere else was your house. 

“ So, you're telling us that Zedd has files on all of us. Our own private information?” Yang asked and Clover nodded his head.

“ Wow.” Blake blinked, surprised and shocked by everything happening, “ He really doesn’t like us.”

“ No need to speak the obvious.” Harriet spoke from where she sat on a sofa chair.

As Clover and Winter explained to the others what was happening, Marrow shifted closer to you, “ You okay?” He whispered, placing a kiss onto your cheek.

You nodded, “ Yea. Just shocked.”

He chuckled, “ I think we all are.”

You playfully rolled your eyes.

He giggled, “ I saw that.”

You crossed your arms against your chest, and acted as if you had no idea what he was talking about, “ Saw what?”

Then he rolled his eyes, “ You rolled your eyes.” 

“ Well, you did too.”

He crossed his arms across his chest, making the same face you did, “ Did not.”

You tried to keep your face serious but a smile was tugging at the corner of your lips, “ You're really annoying.” You said jokingly.

He quirked an eyebrow up and rested his arms at his sides, “ Oh, really? Does this annoy you?”

His face got closer to yours and he started placing kisses all over your face, following with the words of, “ Does this annoy you?” And you giggled each time.

“ Can you two stop being lovey-dovey?” Harriet asked, deadpanning. You and him rolled your eyes and he quit his little kissing game. 

“ So, if we can't stay here, then where are we staying?” Oscar asked and you smirked.

* * *

  
“ You own a house and never told us?!” Nora yelled, beaming as she looked around the entire large house.

“ I agree with Nora!” Marrow threw his hands up, yet not as happy as Nora was to be in a large house.

The house had sensory cameras across the entire estate. No, it wasn't entirely safe because Zedd knew where the house was, but the Ace-ops would be pinged when the cameras caught something that wasn't one of you all.

“ I thought we said no more lies or half-truths.” Yang deadpanned.

You threw your hands up in surrender, “ _Technically_ , it wasn't a lie or half-truth if I never told you.” You pointed out.

“ She has a point.” Xanthe smirked and Yang rolled her eyes.

“ So, how did you even get this house?” Ruby asked.

Your eyes widened and you glanced at Xanthe to see if she could make up something. She just shrugged and you sighed, “ I- Uh- my family owns-“

“ I won it in a bet.” Samantha smirked and you looked at her wide eyed. “ You did?” You asked through gritted teeth.

She nodded, “ Yea, apparently this mansion belongs to the old royal family of Atlas. Thank the brothers I won it in a bet.” She said.

“ Wait, what did you bet for it?” You asked

Her eyes widened, “ We don’t need to talk about that.” She squeaked and walked into the kitchen. You nodded your head slowly.

“ Uh, guys?” Winter called from where she sat in the living room, looking at some papers, “ Yea?” You asked and walked into the living room.

She sorted through the papers, “ You remember May Alcott, right?”

You and Elm groaned.

“ What about her?” Marrow asked as he rolled his eyes.

“ Her family works with Atlas’ security. Meaning she has access to every security camera. Watts is currently in jail, yet security cameras are still being hacked. And this paper shows that Zedd might be working with her.” She showed the paper to you and you read it. 

_Security Cameras now that Watts is gone: May Alcott._

“ You’ve got to be joking!” Elm exclaimed, “ She literally got out of jail two months ago or something, and now she’s working with a serial killer?!”

“ Is this enough evidence to put her back in jail?” Weiss asked.

You sighed, “ No.” Then glanced at Winter’s scroll and smirked, “ But we can find that evidence.”

“ How?” Jaune asked.

You held out her scroll, “ She’s hosting a gala tomorrow.” Your smirk grew and looked at Elm, “ You ready for another mission?” You asked and her smirk matched yours as she nodded. 

Oh, _this_ was gonna be fun.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOO SPY MISSION COMIN UP


	60. May Alcott.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOO BILL FROM V8C3 APPEARS HERE.
> 
> Also F/N means Fake name, and F/N/L means fake last name.
> 
> ( also some dirty words cuz that is just who I am)

_“ Okay, there are 3 guards at the front. Either you sneak in, or act as you were invited to the gala.”_ Elm said through your earpiece. She was in a ship nearby May Alcott’s family mansion, having a computer connected to the estate to find any possible entrances. She would have been on the mission with you instead of Marrow, but she was too recognizable. May didn't know what Marrow looked like. She knew what you looked like, but she mostly saw Elm the last time you and Elm were on a mission to arrest her.

You and Marrow stood behind a wall by the entrance. You reached for your earpiece, “ Might as well sneak in. She’ll recognize me, but not Marrow.” 

Speaking of the man, he took something out of his pocket. You gave him a questioning look and he chuckled, “ Scientists have been working on a knocking out gas, and they put it into this.” He held up what looked like a can of pepper spray, “ And If I press this-”

He was holding the can the wrong way. And that way was facing him.

You facepalmed as he smelled the gas and he fell to the ground unconscious. 

_“ Did he just-”_

“ He just did.”

You were both gonna need another way in.

* * *

Marrow opened his eyes slowly, blinking a few times for the blurriness to go away. He was laying on the floor and the walls around him were the doors of the Airship, one of them was open, and he looked at the ground outside which was illuminated by the moon.

He turned his head to see you in a silver Knit Halter mermaid gown, the moon reflecting on it and making it sparkle. You were wearing a wig which was h/c bobbed hair. Even if May didn't see you much, she has definitely seen your usual hair the time you and Elm arrested her, so you had to wear a h/c wig.

His gaze went down your leg then onto your foot as it was on the seat and you were putting your high heels on.

He smirked, “ Well you look gorgeous.”

You turned your head and looked him up and down, “ Good to see you awake. And you don't look so bad yourself.” You winked.

His eyebrows scrunched up In confusion then used his elbows to lift himself off the ground. He saw that he was wearing a black tuxedo, his tail brushed and his hair didn't feel very messy. He was not wearing this before, “ Uh, how did I get into these clothes?”

Your eyes widened and you brought your foot away from the seat, your high heels making a click sound on the floor, “ That's not important.” You said and adjusted the wig.

He stood up, “ Am I wearing boxers?”

Clover snorted from where he sat at the front of the Airship, Elm in the other seat with a computer on the dashboard. Clover reached for his earpiece, “ Bill, can you hack into the system there and make Marrow and Y/N’s fake names on the list?” He asked.

You all looked at each other confused when you heard someone screaming on the other end. It wasn't a horrific scream. More like a painful scream.“ Uh, Bill, you okay?”

More voices were coming from all of your earpieces, _“ Read the sign Bill, read the sign! Why don't you ever listen?”_

Someone was screaming, “ _WHY_?!” 

“ _You're in here late all the time, your coworkers hate you. Yet you bring coffee and spill it on Mike!”_ Whoever was speaking was not Bill.

“ Bill!” Clover yelled.

Bill cleared his throat, _“ Uh, sorry. I got them on the list!”_

Clover nodded, “ Alright, your fake names are on the list.” He said and you nodded.

“ Wait, what are our fake names?” Marrow asked.

You rolled your eyes, “ I'll explain to you on the way to the manor.”

“ Here, put these on. They're cameras.” Clover said as he stood up from his seat, handing you and Marrow one eye contact. “ It's so we can see what you see.” You both nodded and put the contacts on. 

Elm turned the chair around, “ Your fake names on the list. Y/N, your are F/N F/L/N. Marrow, you are Cole Sprouse.”

Marrow deadpanned, “ Why the hell is my fake name a celebrity?”

“ Because it is.”

  
  


* * *

You and Marrow both walked down a trail in a forest, fairy lights dangling from tree to tree which led the way to the manor. “ Okay. May is usually with her brother, who is also the one actually hosting this gala. Not her.” You said and Marrow nodded, “ We need to find a way to get those two alone so we can find the evidence we need.”

You glanced at the scars on your arm. Now that everyone knew, you didn't wear anything long-sleeved. Nor did you hide the scars on your back. They were a part of you.

The trail came to an end and you both found yourself in front of the house steps. You both walked up and there was a man who let people in, “ F/N and Cole.” You said to the man. He scrolled on his, well, scroll, and nodded. 

He smirked and his gaze went up and down your body, watching you walk into the ballroom. Marrow wanted to punch the guy. 

“ You guys see properly?” You whispered, moving your contact lense around a little.

_“ Perfectly.”_ Elm said.

_“ There's about two hundred people inside. Finding May or her brother might be a little hard.” Clover said._

A man behind you and Marrow cleared their throat and you both turned around. There was a man with brown hair slicked back and a chiselled chin, “ Hello, welcome to my party. I am Haruki Alcott.” 

You and Marrow’s eyebrows raised in surprise.

_“...Or you'll find him easily.”_

You smirked and put a hand on your hip. “ Would you like to dance?” He asked and put his hand out to you. “ I'd love to.” You said as your hand left your hip and took his hand.

Marrow glared at him and followed you both onto the dance floor.

“ I hope your date doesn't mind,” Haruki said as you both walked on an arm, your hand on the crook of his elbow.

You chuckled, “ Oh, he's not my date. He's just someone I hired to drive me here.” You turned around to Marrow who was glaring at him and you tried your best not to giggle, “ I'm gonna dance with him, why don't you get some punch?” You suggested.

“ Sure.” Marrow said through gritted teeth and you gave an apologetic smile when Haruki wasn't looking. You were both undercover, and Haruki wasn't even near May, so that was a start. 

Marrow walked away, leaving one last glance before walking into another room. The hallway was empty and portraits were on the wall, vases with roses in them on tables. He reached for his earpiece, “ Bill, we found Haruki. We didn't find May, though. I need you to do a satellite scan to find the computer network where May and Haruki hold everything on security cameras in Mantle. I need to get back to Y/N because she is in grave danger.”

_“ Alright.” Bill said._

Clover laughed, _“ I don't think her dancing with Haruki is ‘grave danger’.”_ Marrow could hear Elm laughing in the background.

Marrow pouted, “ It's grave danger to me!” He said and walked back into the ballroom. You and Haruki were still dancing.

“ You have such a beautiful home.” You said as you and Haruki waltzed perfectly to the rhythm of the song playing. “ It's very far away from the main part of the city. I'm sure it's hard to get to work.”

Haruki chuckled, “ Believe me, I or my sister don't have to go far for work.” That must have meant Haruki was working with May.

Everyone clapped as the musicians stopped playing their instruments and the song ended. 

Marrow walked up to a group of women, “ Excuse me, would you like to dance?”

A blonde woman rolled her eyes, “ I don't think so.”

“ I wasn't talking to you.” 

The group of women moved and May Alcott was behind them, “ Me?”

“ Yep.” Marrow responded.

She smiled and took a hold of his hand.

A more funky jazz song started playing and you and Haruki danced to it, waltzing with some added fun moves. Your hand was on his shoulder and the other in his, his one hand on your waist.

Your eyes widened mildly when you saw Marrow dancing with May, “ _what are you doing?”_ You mouthed and he just smiled.

It was almost like some intense dance battle. 

Haruki twirled you around and you glared at May when she came into your sight again.

He twirled you around again but then held your leg up with one hand and his other on your butt. Marrow told himself to stay calm about it and ignored Elm and Clover who was currently laughing their heads off. No one could do that to you except _him._ NO ONE. Marrow wouldn’t accept it. But he unfortunately had to right now.

You and him both moved hand in hand again, your hand on your hip and his hand over it. You kicked your right foot up behind you with each move as you danced to the rhythm of the song. 

The four of you got too close and Haruki’s back went against Marrow’s. They both turned around and glared at each other before you and May got a hold of the lapels of your partner's shirts and turned them around again to keep dancing.

Haruki dipped you, holding your leg up. 

Marrow did the same to May.

Haruki picked you up by the waist, you were a foot above the ground as you both twirled around. 

Marrow nodded at May before they were both a few feet away from each other.

He was not.

_“ Is he gonna-”_

_“ I think he is, Elm.”_

May ran at him and Marrow picked her up, holding her in the air for about 5 seconds before putting her down and dipping her. “ Thanks for the dance.” He panted.

The song ended and everyone yelled, “ Bravo!” and clapped. You clapped for Marrow and May.

You put your hands on Haruki’s shoulders, dragging them down his chest to tease him and annoy Marrow, “ Thank you for the lovely dance.” You whispered and winked before walking up to May, shaking her hand but not looking at her with direct eye contact. She stuck the middle finger up at her brother.

_“ That was intense.” Elm laughed out._

You and Marrow both walked out of the ballroom and into a closet to get away from everyone, “ Did you see anything while I was dancing?” You asked as you panted. The closet was so small that you could feel his breath on your lips, and oh you so wished his lips would claim yours.

“ Nope.” He whispered, popping the ‘p’.

_“ He said dancing with Haruki was grave danger.”_

“ Shut up, Clover!” Marrow whisper-yelled.

You chuckled, “ I found out that their office is in the main part of the house.”

Marrow smirked, “ Oh really, how’d you find out? You show Haruki a little cleavage? Not judging.”

You rolled your eyes and your lips claimed his. It was just a chaste on the lips. Almost like a test of trust. “ I would never. You are the only person I love. And the only person I would show cleavage too.” You said and smirked. Even in the dark, you swore you saw his lips twitch into a smirk.

_“ Ew.”_ Clover and Elm said in unison.

* * *

You and him were outside the front of the house, hiding in a bush. You put your night vision glasses on. There were four guards at the entrance “ Four guards. We need another way in.”

_“ On it,”_ Bill said.

After a few moments, Bill spoke again, _“ Got it.”_ He said.

“ What kind of entrance?” Marrow asked.

_“ The kind with sewer rats.”_ Clover said and you could hear the disgust yet smirk in his voice. He was enjoying the fact you and Marrow would be in a damn sewer.

* * *

“ Ew, ew, ew. Gods this is disgusting.” Marrow gagged, “ Great. There’s poop. And there's a rat. And there's poop on a rat.”

You rolled your eyes, “ It's just a storm drain.”

_“ Stop.“_ Elm said and you both stopped, _“ Just above you should be close to the office.”_ You both nodded.

You grabbed a laser and made a big square in the ceiling, the glow of the laser almost looking like lava. You and Marrow stepped back before pressing the button on the laser, and the mark the laser made exploded. The ceiling crumbled down and light from the house illuminated the sewers.

Marrow put a hand under your foot and you put one hand on his shoulder and the other on the floor of the house. Him pushing you up. You rested your arms on the cold house floor. “ I need you to get my makeup powder.” You said.

“ Where?” Marrow asked from where he was still standing In the sewers, looking at your dangling legs. “ It's, uh, in a pocket under my dress by my thigh.” 

Marrow gave a devilish smirk.

“ Don't.” You said and you could hear his pout. It was a little ticklish when his hand went on your thigh and grabbed makeup powder from the pocket in your dress. He handed it to you and you twisted open the lid of the powder, then skimming it across the floor. The powder came up and made lasers come into sight. “ Great.”

You went back into the sewers, “ Lasers.” You said and he groaned. You ripped your dress to make it shorter, your thighs showing and you glared at Marrow when he smirked.

He helped you climb back into the house then he climbed up. You laid flat on your stomach, going under one laser. Marrow behind you at the side. 

You ripped your dress a little too much, and it showed way too much of your damn...well, you know.

You turned your head and looked at Marrow, his gaze was on your- “Are you staring at my ass?” 

His eyes shot back to yours, “ Uh, no. I am not. I may have been before-” He paused to look back at it, “ And now I am again.”

You rolled your eyes and smirked, “ We just need to get over the lasers.”

To get over the next laser, you brought up your behind slowly and went onto your knees. What? It was fun to tease Marrow. 

There were a bunch of flips to get over each laser. You were halfway through and rested your back against the wall. Marrow was still in his same spot, waiting for you to finish.

You tilted your head a little. The laser burned a piece of hair on your h/c wig and watched as the piece of it fell to the floor, smoke floating up from it. “ Okay. Heads up. These are high-intensity lasers so heads up.”

“ Why boxers were a bad idea.” He deadpanned.

You did at least 3 flips, and 2 rolls to get over the last lasers. “ Okay, do I have to do it exactly like that?” He asked.

You chuckled, “ Just get over the lasers.” You said and he nodded.

He didn't do flips, only rolls and skimming over the floor. He was in the same spot you were in when a piece of hair from your wig fell to the floor. He didn't hit a laser at all, “ Good job.”

“ Thank you.” He panted then started to walk to the middle to go over the next pair of lasers.

When he started walking, you gasped and clamped your hands over your mouth. 

A rat was on his back.

“ Marrow-” You put your hands out to try and warn him, but the rat already went into his shirt.

He gasped and started twitching, hitting a bunch of lasers that only made the impact of ripping off the jacket of his tuxedo. Thank the gods the lasers weren't hitting his face or hair. He kept twitching and you kept whispering his name. You could hear the squeaks of the rat.

He somehow ended up on the floor and started slapping his leg. You saw the rat inside his pants on his knee. He did a final roll until the rat got out and he stood up. He brushed the dust off his clothes and acted like nothing happened, “ Shall we?” He said and grabbed a rose from a vase, putting it into his breast pocket.

You got to the office and Marrow started to look around. You could hear beads falling to the ground in the next room over. Marrow scurried inside after. “ Was that a noise?” You giggled.

He huffed, “ There were tap dancers in the hallway.”

_“ No there weren't.”_

“ Elm, shut up!”

You put your hands around your mouth and let out a breath onto a finger touchpad to unlock the computer. The Steam from your breath sticks to everything but the oil of whoever the last person was to touch this computer. 

A bunch of files appeared on the laptop. It was all proof that May and Haruki were working with Zedd, because it showed that they had shut down security cameras.

You pulled up footage from one of the cameras they turned off, and Zedd was in it. “ We got our evidence.”

“ And a lot more.” Marrow said and looked at other files. There were files of stolen dust and military equipment. They were stealing from the military, too. More like Haruki was because it was shown that Haruki stole these. 

Marrow chuckled, “ Your ‘boyfriend’ is a bad man.”

You hummed and joked, “ And a really good kisser.”

He blinked, “ I'm going to choose to ignore that and think it was a joke you kissed him.”

You put a USB into the laptop to download the data. You reached for your earpiece, “ Bill, Do a satellite scan of the house to see if you can find stolen dust or military equipment.”

_“ Alright,”_ Bill said.

After a few moments, he spoke again, “ _Basement.”_

Everything finished downloading into the USB and you and Marrow went to go find the basement, Bill telling you both directions. The basement was gigantic.

There was dust in the basement, but they weren't heated. So it would be fine if an explosion happened because the dust wouldn't explode too. Just an explosion wouldn't go well for you and Marrow. 

“You’re not supposed to be here.” You and Marrow both looked up at the top of the stairs, May having her hand on the railings. 

“ Would you believe us if we said we got lost?” You squeaked.

She smirked, “ Good to see you again, Y/N. Almost didn't recognize ya.” Her gaze went up and down your body, “ And you look good.” She winked.

Her gaze fell on Marrow, “ Not even someone that good of a dancer can be a good guy.”

“ Technically we're the good guys.” You pointed out.

She shrugged, “ Maybe. But you'll be dead soon.” What did she mean- You and Marrow’s eyes widened when you heard the crawling of metal. You and him growing up in the White Fang made you recognize it immediately.

You and Marrow both jumped- in your case, backflipped- out of the way when a Spider Droid came and shot out of it's cannon. The Spider Droid was dark gray and red. Four legs on its abdomen, two arms and an upright oriented body. It has four cannons, one at the end of each arm, and two larger ones mounted on its shoulders. It shot again and you flipped out of the way.

Marrow shot at it but not even gunshots or a boomerang could bring the Spider Droid down. “ Have fun~” May sang before leaving. The Spider Droid shot again and it must have been heard by the guests at the gala because you heard them all screaming in the distance. 

You both jumped out of the way and Marrow landed on top of you. His hand rather in an awkward place on your chest, “ Marrow.” 

“ Right.” He said and removed his hand immediately, rolling off of you and standing up.

_“ I need the number of the Spider Droid so I can shut it down.”_ Clover said and you heard the clicking of a keyboard.

“ CAN’T YOU GUYS JUST COME AS OUR BACKUP?!” Marrow screamed.

_“ We’re too far. By the time we get there, the Spider Droid could possibly kill you.”_

“ He has a point.” You shrugged and Marrow groaned yet understood.

“ Marrow, you shoot and I get the number.” You said.

He looked at you wide-eyed, “ WHAT?!”

You ran across a wall then jumped over the Spider Droid and landed atop of it, stabbing Xanthe’s dagger into its back. You read the number as you stabbed. You read the license number aloud, “ 63611-32822-80789.” 

There was the sound of someone typing on a keyboard on the other end. _“ DONE!”_ Elm yelled and the red glow of the Spider Droid slowly dimmed. You and Marrow both made a sigh of relief, then remembered you both had to get May and Haruki and quickly ran upstairs.

“ Hands in the air.” You said once you and Marrow got upstairs, holding up a gun as you both stood behind May and Haruki, walking up to them slowly. You reached for an earpiece with your unoccupied hand, “ This is Special Operative Y/N L/N. I need scouts here, fast.” 

James had asked you to be his protege, and you happily accepted. Now you were just known as a Special Operative, even if you weren't an actual operative. 

_“ Scouts around the building. Manta Squads coming inside.”_ A commander said. You both heard the pounding footsteps of soldiers coming your way. You smirked. Gods you have always wanted to say this, “ May Alcott, Haruki Alcott. You are under arrest.” _That was so awesome._

May and Haruki were both arrested once soldiers came. 

  
  


* * *

“ And we danced together.” Haruki scoffed before being shoved into a transport, his sister being shoved in next.

“ Good work.” James said. He and Winter came once you reported that the mission was well done. Soldiers were searching the house and taking the dust and military equipment. The ones who worked for Haruki and May were also being arrested because they helped them.

Marrow stood at your side and his arm slipped around your waist, “ We did do good.” He said and placed a kiss on your forehead. He smirked as he remembered something, “ You also said I was the only person you loved.”

You blinked, “ I don’t know what I said.”

“ You said that.” Elm and Clover said in unison, you even heard Bill say it from your earpiece.

You rolled your eyes but then smiled when Marrow’s lips claimed yours. You pouted when he moved away, and he smiled, “ Don’t worry. You are the only person I love, too.” He then dived back into the kiss.

Elm, James and Clover groaned and walked away. 

_“ I think I’m just gonna turn my earpiece off.”_ Bill said.

As you both kept kissing, your gaze would sometimes fall onto the USB. You realized that you would have to sort through all of the files. Great. But you could worry about that tomorrow. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: The Spider Droid is actually the Droid Blake and Adam fought in the Black Trailer.


	61. Detectives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited on February 18th 2021; The conversation between Fiona and you was changed.

“ Alright, until the Academy is safe for us to go back to, we will all continue going on missions yet we will be in groups from now on.” Clover spoke as everyone was seated in the living room. Even the Happy Huntresses were here. “ The only missions we have are patrols, and to see if there were any sightings of Zedd. Winter and General Ironwood ask that you not try to attack Zedd.”

“ More like we insist,” Winter said as she was seated at a table, Xanthe, Miko and the General across from her. They had laptops open, checking all footage of shut down cameras that was downloaded onto the USB from May Alcott’s computer. 

Clover chuckled, “ They _insist._ Zedd is a dangerous man, which is why none of you will try to find him. The Ace-Ops, The Happy Huntresses and Qrow and I will deal with him, but to the rookies, we can't allow you to go after him.”

You understood why he hadn't said your name. Honestly, you were afraid of Zedd now. Just being around him brought back the feeling of the pain you felt when you were attacked. And you were only one year older than Team RWBY and JNPR. 

“ Honestly, I would fight him. But when I saw what he did to Y/N in that vision and all those poor Faunus and humans…” Yang trailed off, remembering when she was in her mind-set and Ozpin showed her and the others when you were attacked and the cave in Anima. 

It was...difficult when they told the kids that Tyrian wasn't the one who attacked you. They believed it for two weeks and a half until Penny was attacked by Zedd. The trust that was between The General and his Ace-Ops with the kids was slightly broken.

They understood why, though. Because they knew that they didn't want to cause panic. Sure, it made a crack in everyone's trust, but everyone just had to stay calm.

“ Yea, it's...terrifying.” You said, below your breath. The house- which, in a way, you could say it was your house- had state of the art Atlas security that you’d never seen before. It was actually more security than the Academy even had. Since The Academy was compromised, everyone that Zedd had in his notes wasn't safe there. At times, James would leave to head to the Academy, yet when he was gone, someone else would take matters into their hands. Surprisingly, he chose Robyn to take care of the Academy.

The Happy Huntresses weren't on Zedd’s list, which meant they possibly weren't targets. But when it got late and everyone was asleep at the Academy, the Happy Huntresses would go back down to Mantle.

“ If you see him, you call us immediately. Got it?” Clover asked and everyone nodded, “ Alright. From now on, we will be doing patrols in groups, led by an Ace Operative, and since the Happy Huntresses are helping, they will also lead. ” He connected his scroll to the holo-board, showing all the teams.

_Blake, Ren, Marrow, Harriet._

_Ruby, Jaune, Vine, Elm._

_Nora, Yang, Weiss, Qrow, Clover._

_Oscar, Fiona, Robyn, May, Joanna, Samantha, Xanthe._

“ Wait, I'm going on a patrol?” Oscar asked.

Clover smiled, “ Yes. It's not safe since Zedd is out there, but you will constantly be protected by the Happy Huntresses and Samantha and Xanthe. It's merely just to scout around the more popular areas of the city, stopping bandits, fights and anything else.” 

Robyn threw an arm around Oscar’s shoulder, smiling, “ I usually don't take orders by bootlickers, but because of what is happening, today is an exception.” She snickered when the Operatives glared at her for saying “ bootlickers.”

You weren't going on a patrol today. One- you and everyone else didn't want to risk you running into Zedd. Two- You had to talk to a few cops today, they wanted to ask questions about Zedd. Three- You still had to heal, your wrist was now damaged again because of the fight with Carmine back in Vacuo and the Spider Droid from yesterday night. It wasn't too badly damaged, just not to be used severely. 

Four- Your memory wasn't doing any better…you were starting to forget memories from such a long time ago. Such as your first day at Beacon.

“ Alright. Let's go.” Clover clapped and everyone stood up.

Marrow ran over to you, “ Hey, you alright?” He asked.

You nodded, “ Yea.”

“ You sure to talk to the detectives alone today?”

You smiled, “ Marrow, I have Winter, James and Miko. I'll be fine the entire time.”

He let out a breath, “ Alright.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to your forehead then the tip of your nose, soon walking away, “ Fetch ya later.”

You deadpanned, “ Was that a dog or your weapon pun?”

He shrugged, “ I don't know, did it bark you up?” He left a smirk before walking out of the front door with everyone else going on patrols and you groaned.

“ Well, you two are cute.” Miko cooed as he threw an arm around your shoulder.

You smiled and chuckled, “ Yea, we are.” You looked around the house. It was huge and was definitely not meant for one person. You were surprised that this even belonged to the old royal family of Atlas. There were four rooms with four beds- well, that's what you thought but there was a fifth room that XMS hadn't shown you.

Yeah, it was XMS now. Hell to the no the ‘A’ was being kept in the team name. May have only been three letters, but they weren't an official dream, so….

The house was so elegant. The bathrooms were shiny and sparkly. The living room was gigantic, a glass chandelier hanging above it. There were a lot of wide and tall areas in the house, so there was more than one chandelier. There was an indoor pool and a training courtyard!

You sighed, realizing this house would look like shit now that a bunch of people were going to be living in it for a while.

* * *

The ring of a doorbell rang through the home, and you got up, but Miko was already ahead of you, racing to the intercom connected to the front door himself.

You rolled your eyes yet smiled, “ I know how to use an intercom, Miko.”

He chuckled and ignored you, walking over to the intercom and also turning on the small screen to see who was outside. There was a man and woman, the woman seemed to be in her early twenties and you couldn't see the man properly.

“ Hello?” Miko asked.

_“ Hi.”_ The woman got closer to the intercom, “ _I am Detective Cheriè, this is my partner, Detective Spellman.”_

Your head shot up and your eyes widened when you heard Spellman. 

Spellman was the last name of your old teammate.

No.

You walked up to the small screen.

Oh, shit.

It was your old teammate...

~

Team T/N had three girls and one male. You were the leader of your team yet they had still abandoned you just because you were In the White Fang. 

_“ You're such a coward!”_

_“You like Faunus? Are you crazy?”_

_“She’s delusional!”_

_“ How are you even our team Leader? Ozpin made a mistake.”_

You and your teammate glared at each other.

“ I see you still haven't changed your style.” He said, through gritted teeth.

“ I see you're still a dick.” You spat.

Winter chuckled nervously, “ Well, this is a great start.”

He sighed, letting his shoulders droop, “ Y/N, let's imagine that I'm actually your detective and we don't hate each other.”

You smiled, “ Aw, but I really like the hating option better.” You stuck up the middle finger at him.

“ Y/N.” James deadpanned.

You sighed, “ Fine.” You said, through gritted teeth.

Detective Cheriè spoke, “ It's just a few questions. You don't have to answer anything you don't want to but it is rather important that you do.”

You smiled, “ I like this one.” You turned your head to James.   
  


He sighed and got up, walking up the stairs and you heard a room door close. He would rather not get in a feud between you and your former teammate.

You leaned back in the chair, your old teammate and Detectie Cheriè we're leaning against a wall while Winter was leaving to go into another room. She didn't want to be in this conversation when there was so much tension. Miko was across the room, acting like he was listening to some podcast when he was really listening in. 

“ let's start. You want to know about Zedd? Then I'll tell you about him.”

You told them everything about Zedd; His ability to steal semblances and auras, that he had murdered hundreds or less, and was also possibly the strongest man on remnant. It was a long interview, and you were thankful that Cheriè didn't give any sympathetic looks, only taking notes like she and your former teammate should. 

Winter came back in after two hours, “ We made some coffee if you would like anything to eat. And we insist that you do, Y/N, since you haven't even eaten breakfast and its lunch.” 

“ I'm sorry, ‘We’?” You called out.

Winter sighed, “ James and I.”

Once going into the kitchen, you all sat down for some coffee. “ We were informed that Mrs. Schnee, General Ironwood and Mr. Ebi had fought on the roof of the hospital before you chose the rather scandalous decision of jumping off the roof.” T/M spoke.

“ It was just a fight.” You growled, “ Nothing to do with Zedd. It's none of your business.”

“ But it is our business. We need to know everything.”

You huffed and anger started to boil in you, “ You want to know what happened? I already told you. But imagine being betrayed by someone you had known since childhood. Someone you trusted deeply. And they ended up just using you so they could hurt you, attack you, try to kill you. Zedd stole part of my aura, part of my semblance, my weapon, my memories, and a part of me. Getting all the wounds wasn't the biggest part that hurt, what hurt most was how someone who I thought was my best friend, was a murderer, and no one to me at all.” 

You looked at him dead-serious in the eyes, “ You should know. Because you've betrayed me before.”

His eyes widened mildly and he looked away.

“ I think it's time you go.” James stood up.

The two of them looked at each other, hesitating before leaving, Winter walking them out. 

“ Y/N.” James pointed to his eyes, prompting you to look at your own. You walked up to a clean and shiny countertop, you could see your eyes glowing but not too much for the Maiden powers to trigger. You sighed, calming down.

Winter, you and James were all soon sitting down in the living room by the fireplace. “ Y/N.” Winter called and you turned your head to her, “ You said he stole a part of you.”

“ He did.” You breathed out, feeling a familiar prick in your eyes.

Winter smiled sadly and took a hold of your hand, “ He stole a part of you. But that's just it; A part of you. Don't forget about the rest.”

It was surprising how just a few words could pull at someone's heartstrings. Before you could reply, Miko burst into the living room and immediately handed you his scroll, “ It's Fiona. She said it's urgent.”  
  


You put the scroll up to your ear, “ What's up?”   
  


  
“ _Wait, if you’re at the house. Then how did you just take Oscar to go to a cafe?” She asked.  
  
_

” Uh, what?”   
  


_“ You just came to us, said you were taking Oscar to a cafe. Then just left.”_

You were confused for a second until your eyes widened in realization. Ozpin said that the Summer Maiden powers could amplify your semblance, make it stronger. When you found out that Zedd was your assailant, he stole part of your aura again. And you had the Summer Maiden’s aura...meaning he had the power...

The aspect of your semblance that was powered was the one to change how you look. Now you could basically change into a whole new person. 

Fuck.

“ Fiona, that wasn't me. You need to take Oscar back and get to your hide-out.”

_“ Alright. Robyn-”_ You heard her start to yell Robyn’s name, but was cut off with Oscar’s scream of horror and you heard her drop the scroll. Your hand started shaking and you dropped Miko’s scroll to the ground.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KAKAIKSMAKSOWKSJS


	62. Author Note.

This is to inform everyone about the recently made edits on the chapters.

February 18th, 2021 Edits: The Sedation was removed in Chapter 45. The Conversation between you and James and James and Clover was removed in Chapter 46. The ending in Chapter 61 was changed.

Yea, that's really it. If there are any mentions of the stuff that has been removed, I will try my best to find where and remove it. This chapter is just for you all to know that what I wrote above was removed.


	63. Who The Hell Is That?

“ Hey!”

Fiona, Robyn, Oscar, and the samoyed dog who Fiona forgot its name, turned around when they heard your voice, then they saw you standing there, hand on your hip and smirking. The other huntresses and Xanthe and Samantha were dealing with some problems, so they were all separated. “ Hey, Y/N. What are you doing down here?” Fiona asked in confusion, “ I thought you had detectives to talk to?”

“ Detectives?”

“ Yea, the ones who want to talk about Zedd.” Oscar answered.

More confusion washed over them when your eyes lit up as if you didn’t even know about the detectives. You chuckled, “ Oh, yea! It was just a small talk. I came here to see if lil Os here wanted to go for some hot chocolate, seeing as he’s been with you all patrolling or whatever all day.”

Oscar jumped with glee, “ Yes! It’s so tiring going on patrols.” He and the dog walked up to you and you threw an arm around his shoulder, almost a little too tight that it made him a little uncomfortable.

You nodded, “ Well, we’ll uh...see you later?” And like that, you walked off with Oscar and the dog.

Fiona glanced at Robyn, “ This isn’t right.”

She nodded her head in approval, “ Text Miko.” 

Fiona pulled her scroll out and opened her messages, scrolling to find her and Miko’s chat.

_Fiona: Why is Y/N down in Mantle? I thought we said she shouldn’t go down because of Zedd?_

She waited for a minute until he replied.

_Miko: What do you mean? She’s right here._

“ He said she's with them.” Fiona read, showing the text to Robyn.

Robyn shook her head, “ Call him.”

She didn’t hesitate to do so.

As she listened to her scroll ring, she could have swore she heard a few grunts in the distance, but it must have been something else. Since she has ears as her trait for being a Faunus, her hearing was very good, so she must have misheard something else that was far off.

Miko answered, _“ What's up?”_

“ Why is Y/N down in Mantle?” She asked, putting her scroll up to her ear and watching Robyn walk off to deal with people harassing Faunus.

_“ What do you mean?”_ Miko sounded confused.

Fiona blinked, “ Let me talk to Y/N.”

She heard the creak of stairs so he must have been walking downstairs. She then heard a few murmurs before your voice was heard, _“ What's up?”_

“ Wait, if you’re at the house. Then how did you just take Oscar to go to a cafe?” She asked.

_” Uh, what?”_

Her confusion grew even more. “ You just came to us, said you were taking Oscar to a cafe. Then just left.”

There were a few moments of silence until you gasped, _“ Fiona, that wasn't me. You need to take Oscar back and get to your hide-out.”_

Something horrible twisted in her gut and she nodded, her breath coming out in uneven gasps, “ Alright.” She put the scroll down, still aware she was on the call and turned to Robyn who shooed away the Faunus Racials, “ Robyn-”

She was cut off when she heard a scream come from a familiar young boy and she dropped the scroll, her and Robyn’s eyes going wide as her blood ran cold. You had at least left four minutes ago with Oscar, so if his scream was that loud, it wasn't good. Fiona heard it more, but Robyn only heard it as a faint yell, but when she saw Fiona’s face, she knew it was something worse.

They both glanced at each other and ran to try finding you.

* * *

Oscar’s eyes widened and screamed when he saw that it wasn't you, pink and white shimmering over the body and revealing Zedd. Said man was almost able to hit Oscar, but Ozpin had instead taken the fall. 

Oscar had no idea how he mastered your voice, it must have been a semblance of some sort. 

He widened his eyes and ducked when Zedd swung a sword at him. He tried to sweep his legs to make Zedd fall but failed in doing so. He glanced at Ozpin, his dog form laying still.

Oscar felt like he lost a part of him, but he knew it was Ozpin losing one of his forms. They were connected, after all. Did this mean the dog was dead? If it was, Oscar was thankful that Ozpin took the hit for him.

He was also thankful Ozpin could read his thoughts, so then he didn't have to ask out loud if the dog was dead, “ _Yes. My dog form is unfortunately dead. Which also means I cannot talk to the others telepathically- DUCK!!”_

Oscar did as Ozpin said so and ducked. He fell to the floor doing so, but pushed himself up with his hands, kicking Zedd in the chest in the process and making him stumble back.

He took this as his chance to run. He could hear Zedd’s grunt of pain as he started to run then he also heard footsteps.

Unfortunately, Zedd also had a speed semblance. 

Oscar gasped and cried out when Zedd grabbed the back of his shirt. Before he knew it, a dagger was pressed to the front of his neck and his cane was on the ground. 

But why wasn't Zedd killing him?

_“ He must have a plan of some sort.”_ Ozpin spoke, almost calming Oscar down from everything that was happening. But a dagger being held at his neck was NOT something nice to go through. He winced as the dagger moved and Zedd made a cut on his shoulder. He could hear the fabric ripping and feel the pain and blood. The dagger was back at his neck.

_“Perhaps we could use magic?”_ Ozpin suggested, _“ Without our cane we are certainly in a mishap.”_

Oscar rolled his eyes, “ You think?”

He quickly regretted speaking as the dagger was pressed further, and a small cut was made at the side of his neck. Maybe they could use magic, but he felt himself merging faster with Ozpin each time.

Alright, either his life or merging. He closed his eyes to think. Technically they were both the same choices because Oscar would die if he didn't use magic, but he'd also lose himself when merging with Ozpin.

When he opened his eyes, they widened.

You were standing there, eyes glowing and fire coming out of them. _“ Secrets revealed.”_ Ozpin muttered, almost sounding like he knew you were a maiden. He assumed that you were the summer maiden since you acted weird when you came back from Vacuo.

Wait, did Ozpin know?

_“ I did know.”_

Oscar’s eyes widened more, “ You _knew_?!” He whimpered as the dagger was pressured more, almost cutting right through his bandages.

You heard the whimper and you _felt_ the fire because of your anger. You had your arm out, Sai pointing right at Zedd. You were both only a few feet away from each other. 

The flight down to Mantle was...crazy. You knew if you hadn't gotten down there faster, then Oscar would be dead. So, you...jumped out without even thinking, thankful Miko and Winter were still at the house just in case this was a trap. You thought you were gonna die because you were more than one hundred feet in the air and only had a Sai, but something surprising happened. You were flying, fire just below your feet and hands keeping you up. It must have been an aspect of the Summer Maiden powers.

But Oscar wasn't dead. Which meant Zedd was planning something. You just didn't know what, though.

You glanced at the dog lying still on the ground right by a shadowy alleyway, and sadness accompanied the anger in you. Even if the dog was dead, Ozpin wasn't. He was still in Oscar’s head. 

By the sadness and anger, you felt something else. Something familiar. It wasn't a feeling or emotion, no, it was something stronger. 

Like someone else had something strong…

You didn't even notice his smirk, and you didn't hear him say, “ She knew it was you.” You were too focused on your own thoughts.

Zedd didn't have the maiden powers. Not completely. The Maiden powers were connected to aura, and he had part of your aura. He didn't have the elemental powers, no, but the aura made his semblances stronger.

He wasn't what had the familiar feeling.

No, there was something in the shadows. Something familiar. Something strong and powerful.

Like a Maiden…

Oscar cried out your name then before you knew it, you were suddenly pushed against a wall, not being able to breathe properly and the fire gone from your eyes. You blinked for the blurriness to go away and something black that was coming from an alleyway was around your neck. 

A Grimm arm.

You squinted to see what was in the alleyway and even though it was dark there, you could see the shape of a body. One amber eye was glowing, fire coming out of it.

Cinder Fall.

You looked at the Grimm arm and saw your aura colour slowly transferring into it. You widened your eyes.

Then, the pressure was released from your neck as you heard Robyn’s battle cry and her crossbow slashed through the arm, Fiona running in. You dropped to the hard, cold ground, hand over your chest and regaining your breath. 

Cinder was screaming in the alleyway. Who knew she had a Grimm arm? Did explain why she hid her one arm with what she was wearing at Haven. “ Who the Hell is That?” Robyn asked as she and Fiona stood beside you, her eyes on the alleyway but her crossbow aiming at Zedd.

You stood up, “ Her name is Cinder Fall. Long story short; she’s strong. _Really_ strong. As we saw, her arm is Grimm, which means it doesn’t have Aura.”

Zedd growled and was about to hurt Oscar, until a gunshot was heard and a bullet swept right in between you and Robyn, you even felt the breeze of it. It was aimed for Zedd and he jumped out of the way when he saw whoever shot, also dropping Oscar in the process.

You both turned around and saw Ruby and Jaune, Ruby’s scythe as a sniper-rifle and smoke coming out of it because of the shot. A few people around had started to scream and run right when Ruby tried to shoot Zedd.

You glanced at the two when they ran by you and Robyn’s side, “ We can’t fight him. He’s stronger than us so we need a distraction.” You murmured, loud enough for the others by your side, “ Jaune, you need to get to Oscar. Zedd won’t fight us, he wouldn’t publicly. He’d rather wait for a private moment, make us die slowly. Now wouldn’t be the time. Fiona, Robyn, contact the others. Ruby, Cinder is in the shadows, we can cover for you while you do what you need to do. She has a grimm arm so she must be affected by silver eyes. If she leaves, Zedd will follow.”

“ affected by silver eyes?” Fiona asked in question.

You sighed, “ It’s a long story.”

Ruby nodded and slowly backed away, trying to get behind everything to focus. Robyn reached for her earpiece, “ Guys, we do have an emergency. We’re at Alponium road. Get here as fast as you can.” You could faintly hear everyone else replying in her ear piece. 

Robyn and Fiona had gone to just distracting Zedd, not completely fighting him. They were the oldest so it was most reasonable that they distract him. Their distraction worked because Jaune picked up Oscar and ran out of the fray. Ruby had her eyes closed. 

Nora, Yang and Weiss had joined the fray.

You were thankful the fire wasn’t coming out of your eyes by the time Robyn and Fiona came, just not thankful it wasn’t coming out of your eyes because you were shoved into a wall by Cinder’s grimm arm and the power transferring into it. Thankfully, it wasn’t long enough for her to take any of the power.

You grabbed Ozpin’s cane and attached it to your belt. If a Sai wasn’t enough, you could use the cane now since Jaune had gotten Oscar outta here. 

After about a minute, a bright light had filled the street and you felt something zoom past you. Once the impact of Ruby’s eyes were no longer in the street, you opened your eyes and looked up; Cinder was clutching her Grimm arm and flying away, fire from under her feet and hands. So that proved that the way you flew after jumping out of the Airship was a part of the maiden powers. Zedd nowhere in sight. He must have become invisible to get away. 

“ Freezerburn.”You turned to Weiss and Yang and they nodded. During the first few weeks in Atlas, you had gotten to know team RWBY and JNPR’S team attacks. 

Weiss twirled then kneeled, planting her weapon into the ground and ice had replaced a portion of the hard ground. She jumped out of the way before Yang punched the ground with fire dust, fog filling the area.

After not moving and looking around, there was no movement in the fogs which meant Zedd was gone. Must have used speed to run then the invisibility when the light from the effect of Ruby’s silver eyes had started to dim.

Fiona reached for her earpiece, “ Jaune, you and Os okay?”

You stood closer to her side to hear what Jaune said into her ear piece, “ _Yea. He’s shaken up, and he has a cut of his shoulder and side of his neck, but fine. I’m trying to calm him down.”_

It wasn’t ‘til a few minutes later that the familiar sound and breeze of an Airship was starting to be heard and felt, it soon landed and James stood at the door when it opened, scowling at you for probably jumping out without saying anything yet a look of worry in his eyes.

You smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of your neck.

Once getting your credentials revoked from your scroll since Zedd stole the one Xanthe gave you AGAIN, everyone had reconvened and went back up to Atlas.

* * *

“ I don’t want to make things worse…” Winter squeaked and everyone looked at her, “ But we may have a problem.”

“ What is it?” Blake asked.

She turned her laptop, “ Zedd still thinks May has cameras turned off. Miko and I caught this. It was from just ten minutes ago.” Zedd was walking in an alleyway, using your umbrella to shield himself from the rain, “ If we’re right...he may be trying to go after Kai Flint.”

Winter knew that James had feelings for Kai, so she wanted to see what he would do at the mention of his name. And he did something, as his head shot up from the report he was reading on his scroll. “ Clover, Winter. I want you both down there and get him up to this house. One of you two inform him that he will be coming up here.”

“ Yes, sir.” The two said in unison.

James deadpanned, “ We’re off the clock. You both don’t need to call me sir.”

* * *

Oscar didn’t say a word when he got back to the house, he was afraid that if he opened his mouth, he would have cried or blabbered out questions to you on being a MAIDEN. Why hadn’t Ozpin told him?!  
  


_“ It was her decision if she wanted to tell us. I am sorry for keeping a secret again, but she wanted me to keep it.”_

You couldn’t help but feel that it was your fault that Oscar got attacked and hurt. You were putting a gigantic target on yourself and the others that you were a maiden. And now it was more gigantic because Cinder and Zedd knew! Cinder wanted your power! And she would do whatever it took to take it.

Meaning she would kill whoever just to get it.

You couldn’t have these powers. Not anymore. It was too painful to even bear.

You and Ozpin were in the training courtyard, getting away from any eyes and ears that could listen to this conversation.

“ Please- Im begging you, take them away.” Your voice cracked as she screamed out, “I DON’T WANT THEM- PLEASE!!”

Oz stared at you, shock written all over his face. He wasn't sure if he could even take them back. He hated to see you this way, just screaming and in pain, he wished he could take them back. but they needed the Summer Maiden. " _Please_ " You begged, " It hurts so much I can't _breathe_ I just- I can't!" Ozpin already felt tears in his eyes form. " I just want the pain to be _gone_ , is that too much to ask for?" 

" I-I'm sorry." He shook his head. 

You felt your whole world stop and your blood ran cold.

Ringing developed in your ears as you stared at Ozpin, your vision was clouded by tears and darkness. You stumbled over, walking over to leave the area. Though, before you could even try to get back into the house, darkness surrounded you as you collapsed to the floor.

“ Y/N!” That was all you heard Ozpin scream until you couldn’t hear anything anymore.


End file.
